<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>CYOA Danganronpa: Free Time Events by ofwyrmsandguns</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24821044">CYOA Danganronpa: Free Time Events</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofwyrmsandguns/pseuds/ofwyrmsandguns'>ofwyrmsandguns</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>CYOA Danganronpa [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Choose Your Own Adventure, Free Time Events, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:14:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,532</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24821044</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofwyrmsandguns/pseuds/ofwyrmsandguns</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>These are the free time events for the CYOA Danganronpa Series, don't read them as they are as they won't make sense, please go to the main work in order to read the full story.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>CYOA Danganronpa [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1795339</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23614657">Choose Your Own Adventure: Danganronpa</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofwyrmsandguns/pseuds/ofwyrmsandguns">ofwyrmsandguns</a>.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The free time event chapters start with the next chapter, please read the main work before reading this one!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Annette.</p><p>You find her in the supply closet digging through the painting supplies with a determined look to her face. Her apron is surprisingly clean, and she’s examining all the colours on offer carefully.</p><p>“Hey Annette!” You call out. She turns to face you with a smile. “What are you looking for?”</p><p>“Oh, I wanted to have a dabble with some watercolours without dipping into my stash, I was wondering if they might have some here.” Annette says, digging through the piles. “Not much luck yet.”</p><p>“There’s quite a lot of paint here, isn’t there?” You ask.</p><p>“Of course! Different paints for different purposes, materials, feelings, emotions… and of course, colours.” She lists off wistfully. “They’re all perfect.”</p><p>“Do you have a favourite type of paint then?” You ask. Annette answers, still seemingly in her own lovey dovey world.</p><p>“Oh, but how could I choose? Oil is so traditional, so difficult to get right but when you do, its so beautiful. And acrylics are more modern, but you can create such vibrant colours without the same worries as oil paints. But watercolours, oh there’s a romance to watercolours… I think my favourite is just paint!” She declares, then pulls out a case with a loud “A Ha!”</p><p>“Found them?” You ask. “What are you planning on painting?”</p><p>“I was thinking of planning a mural for the dining hall.” Annette announces. “Of the outside world. A field maybe, some trees. I want to see if the watercolours will stay on the wall well or if I should use acrylics.”</p><p>“Have you checked that everyone else is okay with that?” You ask.</p><p>“Why would I?” Annette asks.</p><p>“Well, maybe some people wouldn’t want to be reminded of what they can’t see right now…” You try to explain, but Annette brushes you off.</p><p>“They’ll get over it. After all, who wouldn’t want one of my paintings in their dining room?” Annette asks with a huff, brushing her hair over her shoulder and leaving without a good-bye.</p><p>You feel like you got to know Annette a little better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Khesar.</p><p>You find him in the gym, climbing the ropes with intense speed, then clambering back down just as fast. He’s amazing to watch. He catches you staring as he’s at the top, and hangs upside down.</p><p>“Hey Mel! How’s it hanging?” He asks with a grin, scurrying back down in a hurry. He passes you the rope. “Your turn!”</p><p>“Oh, no, I’m no good at climbing.” You say quickly, refusing to even hold the rope. Khesar looks at it and throws it over his shoulder.</p><p>“I don’t like rope climbing anyway.” He admits. “It’s boring, there’s no view, and you can’t sleep at the top.”</p><p>“You sleep at the top of mountains?” You ask, which causes him to laugh.</p><p>“Not mountains, silly. Trees! I’m the Ultimate Climber, but no-one said of what.”</p><p>“So, you mostly climb trees?” You ask. He shrugs</p><p>“I’ll climb anything really, but I like trees best. They’re good for sleeping in.” Khesar says. You get the feeling Khesar is really into sleeping, almost as much as he’s into climbing. “So how’s the puzzles going?”</p><p>“Ah, I’ve been a bit busy to do any recently, but maybe tonight, before bed-”</p><p>“Good plan! You have to keep up with what you enjoy, it keeps spirits up, you know.” Khesar insists.</p><p>“You seem in good spirits anyway.” You say.</p><p>“I usually do.” Khesar agrees. “And while they might not be my favourite thing to climb, I can still climb, and that’s good enough for me!”</p><p>“Are you just climbing the ropes then?” You ask.</p><p>“Nope! I’m climbing anything I can find. Who knows? Maybe there’s a secret exit to this place too high up for anyone else to find?” He suggests with a laugh. “Hey, maybe I should teach you to climb, then we can find the secret exit together!”</p><p>You might have to turn him down for now. But you feel like you got to know Khesar a little better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Siobhan.</p><p>You find her sat in the dining room, knitting quickly with a large ball of yarn laid in front of her and an open magazine to her right, and a book to her left. Her eyes quickly scan over the book, occasionally glancing at the magazine, and her fingers are twisting the yarn around the needles rapidly, accompanied by soft clicking. You can’t look away from the speed the knitting is going at.</p><p>“Do you like watching people knit?” She suddenly asks, not looking up. You jump in shock, about to defend yourself when she looks up with a soft smile. “Sorry. A lot of people do, they find it relaxing. Sit.”</p><p>You don’t know if the last word was an offer or an order, so you sit anyway. Siobhan closes the book and instead greets your eyes with hers, still knitting at the same, rapid speed.</p><p>“I don’t know if it reminds people of their grandmas, or its just domestic comfort, or people like to see young folks doing old crafts, or what. But people like to see people knitting. I’m used to it.” Siobhan explains.</p><p>“You weren’t joking then. You really are the Ultimate Knitter.” You ask, suddenly realising how it must sound. But Siobhan huffs in amusement.</p><p>“Yeah. Don’t let the clothes confuse you. Secretly, I’m actually a kindly grandmother.” She jokes. “Ask me what I’m knitting. Go on.”</p><p>“What are you knitting?” You ask. She whips the magazine around, flips a page over and shows you a photo of a large, ornate teddy bear. It doesn’t look like the typical thing you see with knitting, it’s all bumpy and twisted. “A teddy bear?”</p><p>“Yeah. They might not be the most ‘punk’ thing to make, but they’re actually harder than you’d imagine. They require shaping and a gentle hand at stuffing, impatience makes a bad bear.” Siobhan explains. Even as she speaks she keeps the same level tone, but the sparkle in her eyes says she’s loving the topic.</p><p>“No offense, but it looks a little…off.” You say. Siobhan looks up, checks her work, and shakes her head.</p><p>“No, it’s just an unconventional stitch. Everyone sees stocking and thinks ‘knitting’, but so long as there’s at least two needles and some yarn, it’s knitting. Well, you don’t even need that. But I won’t bore you with the details.” Siobhan says.</p><p>You sit and watch Siobhan knit for a while longer, enjoying the soft click of her needles. Next time, maybe you should bring a puzzle book to work on as well.</p><p>You feel like you got to know Siobhan a little better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend time with Vea.</p><p>You seek them out in the sports hall and spot them stood next to a pile of burgundy balls. They pause in place, holding one ball up near their face, then run forwards, bringing their arm round in a circle backwards, leaving the ball flying at the last second, causing it to smack against the wooden floors at break neck speeds with a loud bang and careen off to the wall in front of Vea. They turn around with a grin and spot you watching and wave you over.</p><p>“What do you think? I’m not going rusty, am I?” They ask.</p><p>“It looked like a good throw.” You say. “I certainly couldn’t hit it in time.”</p><p>“No, but I suppose that’s why you’re not on a cricket team. No offense, ofcourse.”</p><p>“None taken.”</p><p>Vea turns back to their pile of balls and picks one up, carefully tossing and catching it. “Found them in my room. Apparently everyone else has suitably furnished rooms too. No bats or wickets though, so I suppose I’ll just have to practice my bowling against the walls.”</p><p>Vea throws the ball, again, catches it and immediately goes into another bowl. This time the run up is shorter and the ball only somewhat slower, but when it hits the floor it careens off in the opposite direction you were expecting.</p><p>“I’m guessing you’re the thrower on your team then?” You ask. Vea turns to you with a chortle.</p><p>“The bowler you mean?” They ask. You sheepishly scratch your head while Vea grabs another ball. “I’m more of an all-rounder honestly, I play pretty good in all positions.”</p><p>“You seem really good at bowling though.” You point out.</p><p>“Eh, if I’m not in bat, I’m in bowl. My team reckons I’m wasted in field, you see. I have a natural advantage over other bowlers.”</p><p>“Which is?”</p><p>“I’m both a spin and fast bowler, most bowlers are one or the other, but I can do both.” Vea answers. As if to prove their point, they send another ball hurtling through the gym at ridiculous speeds. “So the other team can’t predict what ball they’re gonna get on the next throw. And,” Vea throws the ball up in the air with their right hand, catches it in their left, and bowls a spectacular spin ball that nearly hits you. “I’m ambidextrous.”</p><p>“So they don’t know where it’s coming from, what speed, or where it’ll go.” You summarise.</p><p>“Exactly. Why have me catch balls in field if I can just bowl every batter out? Why risk it?” Vea asks with a grin, before sending another ball into the wall.</p><p>It’s certainly a spectacular (and loud) show to see. You feel like you know Vea a little bit better now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Vea</p><p>You find them in the dining hall drawing out what seems to be tactics for a match. You sit down next to them and they look up with a smile.</p><p>“Heya Mel! How are you?”</p><p>“Not bad, what are you doing?” You ask, pointing to the diagram.</p><p>“Oh, Khesar wanted to know how to play cricket but he didn’t really understand when I explained it, so I’m drawing out the instructions instead, maybe that’ll be easier.” Vea explains. Looking at the diagram, you’re not sure if it is the easy option. “Do you play, Mel?”</p><p>“Oh, uh, not really. It’s not my sort of thing.” You state sheepishly.</p><p>“Nah, I get it. It’s really boring to watch, actually. That’s why it has such good commentators, you need them to stay awake.” Vea says with a laugh. “But when you’re on the pitch, in the bright summer afternoon, there’s nothing I’d rather be doing.”</p><p>“It does sound quite relaxing when you put it like that…” You muse.</p><p>“Yeah! Being in bat is the best for it, there’s literally nothing you can do until you go up but to sit in the sun, maybe have a nap. Great time to get a sunburn though.” Vea laughs.</p><p>“So, how do you play?” You ask. Vea’s eyes start sparkling with excitement.</p><p>“Right! Well, there’s two teams right, and each team has 11 players. There’s two rounds of play, ‘in bat’ and ‘in field, and each team has to play each round before a winner is decided.” Vea explains.</p><p>“You were practicing bowling earlier, right?” You ask. Vea nods.</p><p>“Yeah. So when you’re in bowl, you have 1 bowler, who throws the ball, 1 wicket keeper, who tries to catch the ball immediately after its hit by the bat, and stands behind the wicket, and 9 fielders who try and catch the ball later on. They can be in out field or close in field, depending on the batter and bowler. Keeping up?”</p><p>“I… think so?”</p><p>“Right, so for batting you have 2 people in at once, and the team in field is to get those in bat out. You can only get one player out at a time, either by running out, or catching out. When one player who’s in gets out another player comes out to go in.”</p><p>“Umm-“</p><p>“Once all of the team that’s in has gone out, they go out and the team that’s out comes in, and they bat. When both sides have been in and all the players have been out, the game is over, and the team with the most runs wins, or the team with the less outs wins in a tie.”</p><p>“R-right…”</p><p>The further out the ball goes the less likely you are to get out and the more points you earn, 4 for a boundary and 6 for hitting the spectators. You can also run to earn runs, but 6s and 4s are the least dangerous way to get points. You can also get points from repeated wides if the opposing bowler is having a bad day.”</p><p>“Um, Vea?”</p><p>“There’s 2 umpries who are out at all time, they decide who’s in and who’s out. There’s also a Third Umpire in professional sports. That’s just a computer though- Hey Mel, where are you going?” Vea asks as you try to slip out of the room.</p><p>“Oh uh, desperate toilet call, I’ll catch you later.” You say, darting out of the room.</p><p>You might not have understood everything Vea was saying, but its clear that they love their sport dearly. You feel you understand Vea a bit better now.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is based on the cricket joke of 'trying to explain cricket to an American', it's a great joke to check out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Vea.</p><p>You knock on their door which is quickly answered by Vea. They geet you warmly.</p><p>“Hey Mel! No urgent toilet duties today then?” They ask.</p><p>“No, I should be alright. Can we hang out for a bit?”</p><p>“Sure! Come on in.”</p><p>Vea’s bedroom is filled with posters of cricket players from a variety of different nations; you spot Australia, New Zealand, England, West Indes, they’re all there holding a variety of trophies. Vea points to one poster where the team is comically huddled around the tiniest trophy you’ve ever seen.</p><p>“The Ashes. 25 days of intense, professional sports, for a trophy the size of your hand. It’s brilliant.” Vea says with a grin. You spot more cricket balls decorating Vea’s room, some with signatures, some looking worn and ratty, some looking sparkly new. “They’re called corkers.” Vea answers your unsaid question.</p><p>Vea’s cupboard is open and shows more of the pure white clothes they always wear, and that you see on the players in the posters too. Vea sits cross legged on their bed surrounded by numerous cricket magazines. You sit down next to them.</p><p>Maybe this is a good chance to ask Vea a question?</p><p>
  <strong>Do you play any sports other than cricket? (go to 8)</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>What do you do when you’re not playing cricket? (go to 9)</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Is bowling your favourite position? (go to 10)</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I know cricket’s your main sport, but do you play anything else?” You ask. Vea considers it for a while.</p><p>“I mean, crickets really popular back at home, so pretty much everyone only plays cricket, so I don’t have much choice.” They shrug. “Good thing I’m good at it.”</p><p>“But surely you must like playing other sports too?”</p><p>“I haven’t had much of a chance actually, once people realised how good I was at cricket, I was kind of railroaded into playing only cricket.” Vea says sheepishly.</p><p>“Oh, sorry.” You say back awkwardly.</p><p>“Nah, don’t be. I’m guessing you aren’t railroaded into only doing puzzles then?” Vea asks.</p><p>“I enter a lot of puzzle competitions, to be fair, but outside of those it’s just something I do for fun.” You shrug. “Puzzles are pretty worldwide, but competitions for them aren’t, unlike cricket.”</p><p>“Eh, cricket’s not really a thing in every country. It’s not like football, where pretty much every country has a national team. I wouldn’t want to be the Ultimate Footballer, that’s for sure.” Vea laughs sadly. “What puzzle competitions are there anyway?”</p><p>“A lot of it is about speed, get lots of nerds in a room together, give them a horrific sudoku puzzle and see how fast they get through it.” You say. “It’s not really a spectator thing.”</p><p>“Really? Aww, I wanted to go to one of your competitions and cheer you on cricket match style.” Vea laughs. “Maybe you could show me your skills sometime.”</p><p>“Maybe I will. It’s not exciting though.”</p><p>“A lot of people would say the same about cricket.” Vea points out.</p><p>“Yeah, guess we’ve got that in common then.”</p><p>Vea leans back on their bed, a wistful look crossing their face. “Actually, I’ve never got to try it, but you know what sport I would like to have a go at?”</p><p>“No, go on.”</p><p>“Trampolining.”</p><p>You choke back a chortle and Vea flashes you a wild grin. “Can’t you imagine it? Me bouncing through the air, pulling backflips and the like? I’d be great at it.”</p><p>“All I can imagine is you still in your cricket whites trying it, you’d get dirty so quickly.”</p><p>“Oh I’d fall off in 5 seconds flat. But they look like so much fun, I have to give it a try sometime!” Vea says, their eyes shining with excitement.</p><p>You definitely feel like you got to know Vea a little bit better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Do you have any non-sports hobbies then?” you ask.</p><p>“Eh, training and matches takes up a lot of my time, so I don’t have much time to do anything else, to be honest.” Vea shrugs. “But, I do like a bit of drumming.”</p><p>“Drumming? Maybe you should team up with Matias, play some music together.” You suggest. Vea laughs loudly.</p><p>“Not that kind of drumming. Steel drums, I’m not sure it’d match up with Matias’ rock and roll style.”</p><p>“You never know until you try! I’m sure he’d be up for it.”</p><p>“Maybe I’ll ask him when we get out of here. I haven’t seen any steel drums here yet.” Vea shrugs. “Other than that, I like watching cricket matches too.”</p><p>“I thought you said before that they’re really boring.” You point out.</p><p>“Oh they’re borderline torture sometimes, but you don’t watch for the sport you know. Do you know what the best part of watching cricket is?”</p><p>“No, go on.”</p><p>“The spectators! They dress up to go to matches, they sing songs at the players and the marshalls, and they get raging drunk at every match. It’s brilliant.” Vea says with a grin.</p><p>“They dress up?”</p><p>“Yeah, its like a comic convention sometimes, they’re there as superheroes, Disney princesses, hotdogs, video game characters, you name it I’ve seen someone dressed as it.” Vea says with a grin.</p><p>“But why?”</p><p>“Like I said, the matches are really long. Even the shortest matches, T20 they’re called, last between 3 and 5 hours, and there’s a lot of pauses within the game and between overs. You have to make your own entertainment while you’re there.”</p><p>“You’re not really selling me on cricket you know. I don’t think most sports have the actual sport as the most boring part.”</p><p>“Do they not? Are you sure? Have you ever watched a tennis match? It’s as dull as cricket, more dull even, but they hide it behind having the spectators be as quiet as they can, so the players aren’t upstaged. Same with golf. Have you ever watched those sports? There’s nothing interesting about them at all.” Vea shrugs. “Crickets not 24/7 action, but the action is good, and the boring parts are filled in by the spectators and commentators.”</p><p>“So in a way, they’re also making the game better?” You ask.</p><p>“Exactly. Crickets a team sport, it’s a community sport, and everyone has to do their part.”</p><p>You definitely feel you understand Vea a little bit better now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Is bowling your favourite position then? You certainly practice it a lot.”</p><p>“Well, I play it a lot. Generally you don’t spend a lot of time in bat in game, and my team generally doesn’t put me in field, so I spend most of the game bowling. So I need to practice it.” Vea explains.</p><p>“But its not your favourite?”</p><p>“Nah, it’s alright, I don’t complain about it, but…” Vea trails off with a shrug. “All eyes are on me at all time, especially since I’m the ‘Ultimate Cricketer’. In bowl, everyone’s watching you. I just want some quiet time in the sun sometimes.”</p><p>“So what is your favourite position?”</p><p>“Fielding. You always have to be on your toes, of course, but you’re not stopped every over and get told by team mates how you should’ve thrown the ball like you did in practice. It’s annoying, honestly. I just want some quiet time in the corner of the field for once.”</p><p>You can’t help but feel sorry for Vea. “Maybe you should mention it to your team sometime, ask if you can field.”</p><p>“I don’t want to let them down, we get our most reliable wickets when I’m in bowl. And the normal fielders are really good, so I don’t want to upset them by asking they swap.”</p><p>“Doesn’t anyone else bowl?”</p><p>“Yeah, course they do. If I’m off sick they need someone else who can bowl to take my place, it’s usually our wicket keeper. But they’re just a fast bowler, they’re not as unpredictable as me.”</p><p>“I remember you saying you’re unpredictable before. I’m guessing most of your teammates aren’t then?”</p><p>“Yeah. Most teams have all-rounders, but as the Ultimate Cricketer, I’m above average in all places. So I’m the favourite for all positions.”</p><p>“You haven’t spoken much about batting though. I’m guessing you’re a good batter too?” You ask.</p><p>“Heh, I’m a slogger at bat. I don’t stay in particularly long, but every ball is a 4 or a 6. I’m usually last in the line up for that reason, I end the game.”</p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p>“It’s a bit of a risk to put a slogger in first, generally when I go in we’re down to the wire, like 20 runs from 6 balls down to the wire. It’s all or nothing at that point. Sloggers can easily get caught out from a good ball, but with enough skill and a bit of luck, and the green being on my side, I usually win us the match.”</p><p>“Wait, so you spend the rest of the match sat in the sun waiting for your turn at bat right?” You ask with a smile.</p><p>“You caught me.” Vea admits, raising their hands in defeat and chuckling. “Cricket’s great; most of it is just sitting around.”</p><p>You definitely feel like you got to Vea better today</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Vea.</p><p>You find them in the supply room, carefully looking through the detergents in a box, examining each closely. When you enter they raise one of the bottles to you with an inquisitive look.</p><p>“Do you reckon ‘whiter than white’ or ‘crystal shine’ will work best with my clothes Mel?” They ask. You examine the bottles a bit closer.</p><p>“I mean, you can’t get whiter than white, surely? That has to be false advertising, I wouldn’t trust it.”</p><p>“Good point.” Vea agrees, putting the bottle back in the box and holding the crystal shine bottle instead.</p><p>“Had a bit of an accident, did we?” You ask teasingly.</p><p>“Not my fault, someone tripped near me in the dining hall carrying coffee. I caught the cup, but there was nothing in it by that time.” Vea admits with a note of annoyance.</p><p>“Ugh, I wouldn’t want to be the one cleaning your team’s uniforms Vea.” You moan. Vea laughs.</p><p>“Yeah, we usually have someone that does it for us, they get grass stains really easy.”</p><p>“Why wear white then?” You ask. Vea shrugs.</p><p>“No idea. Cricket teams just do. Some teams will wear other colours when in field, but the protective gear’s always referred to as cricket whites anyway.”</p><p>Vea tidies up the box and puts it back on the shelf, holding the detergent bottle they’d chosen.</p><p>“How did you get into cricket then?” You ask as the two of you leave the supply room, heading to the washing machine in the kitchen.</p><p>“It’s really popular back home, everyone plays it. It was pretty much play cricket or don’t play at all.” Vea shrugs. “Back when I first started though I was rubbish, I was always put in the furthest part of the field ‘cause I couldn’t catch.”</p><p>“Really? I can’t believe it.” You say with surprise. Vea laughs softly.</p><p>“No-one’s good at something first time though, right? I’d love to see Siobhan’s first knitted item, I bet it was falling apart. Or Kurt’s first game he led, I bet it was a disaster. And have you seen Kai’s first game she made? Buggy mess, even she admits it. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?”</p><p>“Some people have natural talent though, right?” You ask. Vea shrugs.</p><p>“Oh some of the kids were amazing when they were 4, sure. Talks of county teams when they were old enough and everything. But if you don’t work on natural talent, it just stays like that. Anyone can be good at anything if they want to, regardless of how rubbish they are when they start. I worked hard to learn how to catch, while the other kids didn’t, because they already could.” Once you arrive at the washing machine Vea grabs their clothes left on the side and throws them into the machine with the detergent.</p><p>“And what about the other positions?” You ask.</p><p>“Same thing. I was always picked last for every game, and I wanted, just once, to be picked first. So I practiced hard at every position I could with my dad helping me. Sometimes I’d train so long I’d fall asleep in the garden, mid-bowl. By the time people started noticing that I could finally catch, I’d already become proficient at all positions.”</p><p>“When did you make the leap to being in a competitive team then?”</p><p>“Oh, I would’ve been about 10 I think? It was the inter-school competition, I was brought as a substitute as no-one believed me when I said I was good. One of the other kids tripped on their laces, so I was brought in. Apparently, no-one had actually managed to score a century before that match.” Vea says with a proud grin, then spotting your expression adds. “That’s 100 runs in a single match. It was Kwik Cricket rather than proper cricket, which has some upsides and downsides. But the upside was that there’s no limit on the number of runs you can make in one batting. I made 20 at one point. The other team was fuming.”</p><p>You can’t help but grin at the sight of the other team, made up of tiny 10 year olds, storming and stomping as Vea effortlessly pummels them all, all with their signature grin. “Was there a talent scout there then?”</p><p>“Yup. Immediately saw my potential, got in touch with my parents and got me signed up for a county under-16s. I progressed from there. County, regional, national… I’ve played international competitions and everything.” Vea says with a proud smile, sitting on the kitchen counter.</p><p>“And the kids back home?” You ask.</p><p>“They still can’t catch any ball I throw. But now, that’s because it’ll take their hand off.” Vea grins.</p><p>You stand chatting by the washing machine a while longer. You definitely feel like you’ve gotten to know Vea better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend more time with Vea.</p><p>You search for them in the sports hall, opening the door to see Vea once again practicing their throws against the wall. They bowl a spectacular fast ball that ricochets off the wall and starts hurtling towards you. Vea follows the ball and spots you in the line of fire, yelling frantically “Duck!”</p><p>You drop to the floor just in time for the ball to sail past your head into the corridor behind you. Vea’s frantic footsteps come racing up to you, helping you to sit up.</p><p>“Oh god Mel, are you alright? I didn’t realise you were there!”</p><p>“I’m fine, don’t worry.” You say with a smile.</p><p>“Give me more notice next time, alright? That almost hit you!” Vea exclaims, running a hand through their hair nervously.</p><p>“Are you alright Vea?” You ask.</p><p>“I’m fine since you’re fine, but that was close Mel. Please don’t come in like that again.”</p><p>“It’s just a ball, right? It’s not like it would kill me.” You say offhandedly. Vea’s grim and horrified expression makes you bite your tongue. They leave the room and come back with the ball they just threw.</p><p>“It’s a real corker this, you know. Feel it.” Vea put the ball into your hand and your surprised by the weight. It’s solid leather covering a dense wooden interior. “Cork ball, covered in leather, that goes at 110 miles per hour Mel. This thing is no joke. It can and has killed people before.”</p><p>You examine the ball with a sinking feeling in your stomach. You’d never expected something so inconspicuous to be so dangerous. Maybe its because of the killing game, but knowing something so innocent looking to be deadly in the right hands, the right hands stood right next to you know, makes your legs feel like jelly. Vea gently takes the ball back, looking at it closely.</p><p>“It’s the most seriously taken injury in cricket, a corker to the head. Time off pitch, see the doctor, close observation, no ifs, no buts. You’re lucky to get back onto the pitch after getting hit by one, honestly.”</p><p>Something about Vea’s tone makes your stomach sink, you feel like you should ask, but you don’t know whether it would be polite to or not. “Have you ever been hit by one?”</p><p>Vea is silent for a while, gently tossing the corker up and down. “No, but I have hit someone with one. The very next game after…” Vea trails off, sitting on the floor. “I didn’t kill them, before you ask. They had a concussion, had to take 2 games off. But the game before, the other teams bowler also hit one of our batters. Fast ball, full toss yorker. He didn’t even make it to the hospital.”</p><p>You’re shocked into silence as Vea closely examines the corker, avoiding your eyes. You don’t know what to say, but you have to say something.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t know…”</p><p>“It’s all right, I know you don’t know that much about cricket. When we get out of here, we should all go to a match together.” Vea says brightening up a little. “Then you can really appreciate the game for its beauty.”</p><p>“I’d like that.” You nod. Vea stands up again, walking back over to their pile of balls. You follow, not knowing what else to do.</p><p>“Ball injuries were taken much more seriously after that, we all had to wear full protective gear and everything. It’s really funny the first time you wear it, you feel like you’re at Lord’s.” Vea grins. “Oh, that’s the most famous London cricket ground, by the way. It’s as fancy as you can imagine for the major grounds for a middle class sport in England.”</p><p>“Maybe we should watch a game at Lord’s then, get the full experience.” You suggest. Vea grins widely.</p><p>“Yeah! I wanna play at Lord’s one day, just for the clout, you know? Bragging rights and all that.” Vea bowls a curve ball against another wall, the ball bouncing far away from the two of you. Vea pauses as they pick up another ball, then turns to you with a wicked grin. “Oh, you know what you’re going to do today, Mel?”</p><p>“N-no, what?” You ask, a pit of dread forming in your stomach.</p><p>“You’re gonna learn how to bowl. Come on, let me show you.”</p><p>You spend a long time with Vea, repeatedly throwing balls. The bowling technique feels strange and embarrassing the first time, with hopping and waving your arms all over the place, but by the end of the training session, Vea’s taught you how to bowl a fast ball, not as fast as theirs, but fast enough to impress.</p><p>“Just be careful, with a ball of this speed, you could really cause some damage. If you want to practice some more, you should do it in the sports hall.” Vea explains with a smile.</p><p>You’ve become good friend withs Vea now. At the prompt <span class="u">‘VEA’</span> turn to 154.</p><p>You now know how to bowl a fast ball. At prompt ‘<span class="u">FAST BALL</span>’ turn to 67</p><p>You obtained the Mysterious Ending clue: It’s first word, letter A.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let's talk a bit about Vea.<br/>Vea was created as the team 'sports person', which is a position filled in every Danganronpa game by at least one, maybe 2 characters (swimmer in the first one, gymnast in second, tennis in V3). Because Mel is agender, making Vea a lad or a lass would tip the gender balance, which is not a thing in Danganronpa, they always start out with an even mix of genders, so I had to make one of the other characters agender as well. I hadn't decided much on Vea at the time, so they formed as a result.</p><p>When inventing each character I also assigned them a country of origin that is sometimes, but not always, related to their Ultimate. Vea Kalicharan is from the West Indes, which was the first country that popped into my mind at the thought of cricket outside of England and Australia. Their first name was taken from a baby name site, while their surname was borrowed from a list of cricket players from the West Indes.</p><p>I really enjoyed writing Vea's events, because I'm not actually a sports person and I don't know that much about most sports, except for cricket. I hate watching cricket, but it is my favourite team sport, I'm just not very good at it. I'm usually put in bowl when playing with my family though, and I do know a lot about the sport, so this was a great excuse to flex what I know. In fact, cricket is so dear to me that I have, on at least one occaision, fought my teacher's at school for them to carry out their promise to let us play cricket in class after they backtracked on their lesson plans. Considering how I was usually too scared to bring up any issues with teachers at all, that should give you a sense of how much I do, strangely, enjoy this sport.</p><p>Ironically, Vea is the first character to have their free time events finished, but they can't be finished in the first act because of how the act is set up. Sorry about that!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Matias.</p><p>You start by knocking on his door, which he answers after a short delay. He’s carrying a ukulele in his hands and smiles when he sees you. “Oh hey Mel! What’s up?”</p><p>“Oh, nothing, I was just wandering if you wanted to hang out a bit?” You ask. He grins back.</p><p>“Sure! Might as well get to know each other, as we’ll be stuck here a while.”</p><p>He opens the door wider to invite you in. His room is absolutely filled with guitars, all carefully arranged in an order you can’t figure out. It doesn’t seem to be by size. Meanwhile Matias sits cross legged on his bed, strumming the ukulele and adjusting it. He almost seems to be in a world of his own.</p><p>“Can you play all these instruments?” You ask. Matias looks up with a smile.</p><p>“Of course! Would you expect anything less from me?” He asks. “Why? Would you like to hear a tune?”</p><p>“Oh, um, not if you’re too busy-“</p><p>“’Fraid I am. They’re all out of tune, someone mustn’t have played or adjusted them in a while, and it’ll drive me batty if I leave them that way. They have to be perfect, you see.” Matias replies, strumming the ukulele again with a satisfied nod, putting it down beside the bed. “But I want to play to people, so don’t feel scared to ask me later.”</p><p>“I guess performing’s pretty important for you then.” You state.</p><p>“Well, how else do I get to see if I’ve improved?” Matias asked, pulling a banjo onto his lap. “People let you know pretty quickly if you’re any good much better than your mirror does.”</p><p>You watch him tune the banjo in silence. He doesn’t tune by playing string by string, but rather by playing little tunes. It’s quite nice to hear.</p><p>“Do you only play guitars then?” You ask. Matias bites his lip in thought.</p><p>“I mean, guitars and similar instruments, as you can see.” He pointed around the room. “I like strings, really. But not classical string instruments, like violins. Something you can dance to.” As if to prove his point, he plays a quick, jaunty tune on the banjo. You can’t help but listen, completely enraptured. “Do you play any instruments then?” Matias asks, jumping you out of your trance.</p><p>“No, no. Well, a bit of recorder, from school you know. But I’m not good.” You insist. Matias suddenly has a wicked grin across his face.</p><p>“I’ll teach you then. It’ll be a fun little project, while we’re locked down, you know?”</p><p>You feel like he won’t really take no for an answer. But you certainly feel like you know Matias a little better now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Matias.</p><p>As you’re walking around the corridors searching for him, Matias jumps out of the supply room with a grin.</p><p>“Oh hey Mel! I’ve been looking for you!” He says, running up to you.</p><p>“Oh? Why?” You ask.</p><p>“I’ve figured out what you should learn.” Matias declares with a proud smile. “It’s perfect.”</p><p>“Go on.” You say, a little uncertain.</p><p>“The bass guitar! Those low notes, the simple movements, no chords and great basslines, it’d suit you to a tee!” Matias declares. You’re not so certain though.</p><p>“It’s still a difficult instrument to learn though, right?”</p><p>“Well, yeah. They all are. And you need some finger strength to hold down those thick strings, but I think it’d really suit you.” Matias insists. You feel there may be an ulterior motive though.</p><p>“Come on, why do you really want me to learn bass?” You ask.</p><p>“It’s my passion.” Matias defends himself, almost sounding offended. “I want everyone to know how much fun guitar is, I want everyone to share in it. Is that so bad?” He asks. You look a little sheepish, until he laughs. “Okay, you got me. I want to jam with someone!”</p><p>“Jam?” You ask.</p><p>“You know, blast out some tunes. Guitars sound great on their own, but put them together and they make angel’s cry. Trust me, you want to try it out sometime.”</p><p>But, to play alongside the Ultimate Guitarist… “I don’t know, Matias. I can’t play to your level, that would take me years.”</p><p>“You think I care about that? It’s a challenge for me!” Matias laughs. “To find a bassline you can play, then to play around your mistakes to make it sound good! We’ll be brilliant, I just know we will.”</p><p>His enthusiasm is infectious, and you can’t help but smile. “Alright, I’ll give it a try. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”</p><p>Matias’ whole face lights up as he drags you back to his room, thrusting a bass guitar into your hands. You spend a couple of hours practicing fingering and plucking, and by the end of it your fingers are sore, but Matias seemed so happy to teach you. You definitely got closer today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some more time with Matias.</p><p>You knock on his door, but he doesn’t answer. You try again, but still nothing. On the third time he finally answers the door, but he’s not looking particularly happy this time.</p><p>“Oh, sorry, were you busy?” You ask. “I can come back later.</p><p>“No, no, it’s alright.” Matias waves off your concerns. “Just a bit under the weather, honestly.”</p><p>“Would you like me to come back another time?” You ask.</p><p>“No, I think I could do with the company, if you don’t mind?” Matias asks, opening the door. You enter. His room is it’s usual orderly self, but this time there’s no guitars by his bed being tuned. Matias walks over to his bed and sits down on it before tapping it a few times to indicate you to come over.</p><p>“Is everything alright?” You ask. Matias shakes his head and gives a grin.</p><p>“Is anything alright at the minute?” He asks. “Don’t worry, I can deal with it. So how are the puzzles going? Solve any good ones lately?”</p><p>He’s clearly changing the subject, but you suppose you can’t get him to talk if he doesn’t want to. “Just a few sudokus, and I solved a rubiks cube last night.”</p><p>“Really? I’ve never managed to solve one myself. How fast can you solve them then?” Matias asks.</p><p>“Took me a couple of minutes last night, but all the Rubiks cubes here are pretty new, so they take longer to move the pieces.” You reply. Matias is listening intently, but seems uncertain on what questions to ask. Maybe you should ask him a question?</p><p>
  <strong>Do you like any puzzles? (go to 16)</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Why did you get into guitars? (go to 17)</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Are you sure you’re okay? (go to 18)</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Do you like any puzzles?” You ask. Matias tilts his head in thought.</p><p>“I quite like sorting puzzles, as boring as they are. They’re really pleasant once they’re done.” Matias answers. “I suppose that’s why I like Maths too.”</p><p>“Maths?” You ask</p><p>“Yeah, it’s my favourite subject. Not that I’m any good at it, but I like learning it, you know?” Matias laughs nervously.</p><p>“I would have thought music would be your favourite.” You say.</p><p>“Music? No, no. I’m self taught, you know. I don’t really know or like all that theory stuff. So I skipped learning it.” He says with a big grin.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“It’s not vital to know the letters and the Latin to be good at music.” Matias insists, getting up and grabbing a simple six string guitar. “If I play these strings together while holding these sections-” he strums a beautiful chord “-it sounds good. And if I play this one next-” He plays another “it goes together well. And so on. Who cares what they’re called anyway?”</p><p>“So, you can’t read music?” You ask. Matias laughs at you.</p><p>“No, course not. You don’t even use classical sheet music for guitars anyway, it’s strings and numbers only. Only time the letter names pop up is for tuning, and I tend to go with my own tuning anyway.” Matias insists.</p><p>Maybe you shouldn’t be so surprised. The Ultimate Guitarist is known for his own unique and beautiful sound that stands out from so many others playing right now.</p><p>“Is that why you don’t play classical string instruments?” You ask. “Because they do use classical sheet music?”</p><p>“Nah, I just don’t like the bows.” Matias shrugs, laying down on his bed. “They hurt my ears.”</p><p>You definitely feel like you’ve learn more about Matias today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Why did you get into guitars?” You ask. Matias looks at you quizzically. “I mean, there’s lots of instruments out there, why chose guitars?”</p><p>“It was cheap.” Matias shrugged. “I got my first one when I was four, one of the local boys sold me his old one. I had to do extra chores for 3 weeks to save up for it, but I got it.” Matias declared proudly.</p><p>“Was it any good?” You ask.</p><p>“It was badly out of tune and one of the strings snapped the next day.” Matias complained. “But I played it non-stop. I loved it, I felt like the rockstars on the TV. Even if I didn’t look or sound like them.”</p><p>“You never really have, right? You’re known for your unique sound.” You continue. Matias gives you a weird look.</p><p>“Are you secretly a fan or something?” He asks with a laugh. “Yeah, I taught myself so I don’t really follow chord progressions or the like. I just play what sounds good to me.”</p><p>“When did you start performing?” You ask.</p><p>“I started entering talent competitions from the age of 7. By that point, I’d replaced the broken strings, and the judges didn’t understand what I was doing at first, but as soon as they heard me play, they fell in love with it.” Matias recalls fondly. “Once I’d won enough from them I started getting new guitars and practicing new instruments, but I always go back to that old guitar. It’s my favourite.”</p><p>“And when did you start doing your own performances for fans?” You ask.</p><p>“Oh, that. I got lots of messages from talent scouts from when I was little, but I finally gave in when I was 14. You know how you are when your 14, I wanted the popularity. And the fans.” Matias grins. “But it was always on my terms. Small venues only, it must be acoustic, with my old guitar. And I won’t do lessons.”</p><p>“But, there’s electric guitars here.” You say, pointing to a couple set up next to an amp. Matias laughed.</p><p>“Oh yeah, I know how to play them. But the original is always the best, and I only want to put on the best performances.” Matias insists. “Listen to me rambling, how’d you get into puzzles anyway?”</p><p>“Oh, just bored in lessons, you know.” You shrug. “And after school. I got a couple of puzzle books, then a couple more, than a hundred more. Then I started entering crossword competitions and Rubiks cube speed solving contests. It just snowballed from there.”</p><p>“Doesn’t it always.” Matias agrees.</p><p>You definitely feel like you’ve learn more about Matias today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure you’re alright?” You ask. He’s not usually this quiet. Matias sighs.</p><p>“Look, it’s not worth worrying about, okay? I can deal with it, I promise.” Matias insists.</p><p>“We can talk about it if you want.” You continue. Matias sighs again, this time with annoyance.</p><p>“I don’t, actually. You don’t need my issues on top of your own.”</p><p>“I just want to help…”</p><p>“I don’t want any help right now.” Matias snaps. “Actually, can you leave? I’m gonna take a nap.”</p><p>Matias stands up from his bed and leads you to the door. As soon as you walk through it he slams it shut after you.</p><p>That really wasn’t the best way about it. You hope you haven’t upset Matias.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend more time with Matias</p><p>You find him in one of the classrooms, resting his legs on one of the desks while leaning back on one of the chairs, gently strumming his guitar and singing along quietly. You knock on the door to grab his attention, and he turns to you with a smile.</p><p>“Mel! Hey, come in. I was just about to take a break anyway.” He drops his chair back down to the floor with a loud bang and takes the guitar off from around his shoulders, leaning it up against a nearby desk.</p><p>“What song were you playing? It sounds nice.” You ask. Matias shrugs.</p><p>“Eh, just working on a new one. I’m not quite happy with it yet, I know what I want it to sound like but it’s just coming out wrong.” He moans, running a hand through his hair. “It happens though, I’ll get it soon enough. I reckon that’s an issue with puzzles too, right?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, I’ve lost count of the number of slider puzzles I’ve thrown at a wall because the pieces just wouldn’t go where I wanted them.” You complain, but smile anyway. Matias groans.</p><p>“Not slider puzzles. I hate those things.”</p><p>“What’s the song about anyway?” You ask. Matias turns away sheepishly.</p><p>“Oh, uh, just some sappy love song, you know. It’s what people want from me, I thought maybe I should give in for once.” Matias shrugs.</p><p>“Why? I thought the entire reason people adored your music was how different you are in every aspect. Why give in now?” You ask, maybe a little harshly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean-“</p><p>“Nah, it’s alright. It’s nice hearing something so straightforward sometimes.” Matias fixes you a grin, but looks thoughtful nonetheless. “Wish my manager thought the same as you though, she’s always trying to get me to be more mainstream. She’s got big ideas for me, regardless of what I think.”</p><p>“Why not get a new manager then?” You ask.</p><p>“Ugh, I’m signed into a contract, so she’s my manager for the next 3 years at least, if she doesn’t manage to swindle me into extending it.” Matias groans. “If I try to break the contract early, she can basically make it so I don’t ever get to perform again.”</p><p>“What? That’s awful.”</p><p>“That’s the music business sometimes. It’s all appearances, being a heartthrob, and writing bloody love songs.” Matias picks up his notebook in front of him and throws it across the room at the wall in disgust. “I just want to play for people, and the managers don’t understand that sometimes, all they understand is money, and their cut of what I make.”</p><p>“Oh yeah.” You say softly. “If you play bigger venues, she’ll get more money right? More attendees, higher ticket prices, the works.”</p><p>“We fight so often it was amazing she even agreed that I should come here, since it would mean less shows.” Matias jeers. “You know, she wanted me to change my style too.”</p><p>“Your music style? Why? Isn’t the whole point of your music how different it sounds?”</p><p>“To the fans maybe, the point of my music to me is just enjoying it.” Matias corrects you. “She’s more into the idea of a teenage heart throb, lots of money there, get me in a boyband and start making the big bucks off of merch.”</p><p>“I’m guessing you don’t feel the same way then.”</p><p>“Love songs are boring.” Matias says pointedly, standing up and retrieving his notebook. “I tried to please her by writing one, but they’re all so dead and lifeless. They’re the same as the rest. And not to mention that bloody image she has of me.”</p><p>“You don’t really strike me as the boyband type.” You agree.</p><p>“Good luck to anyone that has to play alongside me, I’m not changing my style for anyone.” Matias warns.</p><p>“That makes me feel so much better about playing bass with you, you know.” You say with a laugh. Matias visibly backpedals.</p><p>“That’s different, you don’t know anything about music, I can easily teach you to play with me because you don’t know any different.” He says, then visibly backpedals again. “I mean-“</p><p>“It’s alright, I know what you meant.” You laugh. “No offense taken. But I didn’t mean via your music, you just don’t strike me as being so… extroverted I think? I don’t think you’d deal with the name in lights thing that boybands get.”</p><p>Matias closes his eyes and nods his head. “We’ve known each other such a short amount of time and even you can see what she can’t. I don’t WANT to be famous. I don’t WANT thousands of people cheering my name. I want to do pub circuits and maybe open for small scale bands that usually open for medium scale bands. I want to play for fun and just enough money to continue to play, and nothing more.”</p><p>“You know, I’d never thought such a rock and roll title as ‘The Ultimate Guitarist’ would be so introverted.” You tease. Matias grins and teases back.</p><p>“I never thought a title so boring as ‘The Ultimate Puzzle Fan’ would actually be worth befriending, but here we are.”</p><p>You sit in the room a while longer, Matias eventually picking up his guitar again and trying once again to work on his new song, before giving up and changing the lyrics to a daft song about the meals you’ve had so far while stuck here, and he seems to get the melody much faster this way.</p><p>You definitely feel like you’ve got to know Matias better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend more time with Matias.</p><p>You take the bass guitar he’d given you and seek him out in the Sports Hall. He’s stood in the centre of the room facing away from you when you enter, softly playing an acoustic guitar and singing along loudly. It’s absolutely captivating, and you stop to truly appreciate it for so long that the song finishes and Matias turns around to spot you watching. He starts blushing.</p><p>“Oh, didn’t see you there Mel.” He says, scratching at his head with a nervous laugh.</p><p>“That was really good!” You say, making your way over to Matias. “I don’t know enough about music to give a proper complement, but I can see why you have so many fans.” Matias blushes harder, and turns to focus on tuning his guitar instead. “Wasn’t it tuned before?”</p><p>“It wasn’t standard tuning, so the notes are off. I’m putting it back into a standard tune so we can play, alright?” Matias explains. He finishes quickly and hold his hand out to tune your bass as well. “Have you been practicing?”</p><p>“A little.” You say nervously. “My fingers hurt if I play too long.”</p><p>Matias nods sagely. “Yeah, bass strings are thick and heavy, you have to have some finger strength and a sort of immunity to the pain built up before you can play for an extended time.”</p><p>“Don’t you need that for normal guitars too?” You ask.</p><p>“The standard 6 string has much thinner, lighter strings, which is why it sounds so different to the bass. It’s also why its easier to play chords on 6 strings than basses, it doesn’t take much to hold the strings down.” Matias explains, placing his guitar over your shoulder so you can have a feel of the strings.</p><p>“I thought you said bass would be easier.” You mention.</p><p>“No instrument is easy, but you don’t have to worry about chords with basses so much. Bass guitars are important in rock bands though; they’re the bridge between the beat and the melody, the path between the drums and the lead guitar. They’re really under-appreciated.” Matias explains. “A lot of bands use 6 string guitarists to play bass, and you can tell how much they hate that position in their music.”</p><p>“How do you feel about bass then?” You ask. Matias grins.</p><p>“I love all my guitars equally Mel, except my original one, that stands above the rest.” He explains. “I don’t know if I could be in a band and choose between them all, but if the band didn’t have a dedicated bass player, I’d definitely hold that position. It’s a beautiful instrument.”</p><p>“I never really gave it much thought before.” You shrug. Matias swings the bass into position over his shoulder.</p><p>“Basses don’t have lots of solo pieces, but the ones they do have are very recognisable. Listen.” Matias immediately starts playing Seven Nation Army, then Smoke on the Water, before finishing of with Fleetwood Mac ‘The Chain’. He plays more song basslines in quick succession, some you recognise, some you don’t, before jumping into movie themes, such as James Bond, Pink Panther and even the Imperial March.</p><p>“Wow.” You say breathelessly. “I’m glad I’m learning from you rather than competing against you.”</p><p>“I told you, the bass is beautiful. All instruments are, I haven’t heard a single one that I’d choose to never hear again, it’s just about getting someone who’s actually interested in playing in playing it. In the wrong hands, even the most perfect instrument playing the most beautiful melody can be mangled, even if it’s played ‘perfectly’.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“If the person playing the instrument doesn’t actually want to play it, the music they create can never be good, no matter what. You can tell. But, on the flip side, if you actually want to play, even if you hit wrong notes, even if you take it slow and play the most basic tune, everyone can tell how much you want to play, and the beauty will shine through in the music.” Matias explains, looking wistfully at his guitar.</p><p>Maybe that’s why he has so many fans, why he’s the Ultimate Guitarist. Regardless of the fact that he knows nothing of musical theory, the real skill he has is simply putting his love into his music, that the love flows out for everyone to hear.</p><p>“Well Mel? Do you really want to learn bass?” Matias asks suddenly, handing you back the bass guitar. You suddenly feel nervous, now that Matias has told you he can tell from your playing whether you’re really dedicated or not, and you can tell he’s not wanting your answer to come from your mouth. Taking a deep breath, you slowly and cautiously play the bassline he’d shown you before, a simple piece with barely any finger movement played only on the middle strings, but once you’ve finished, Matias is beaming.</p><p>“Come on then, let me show you how to silence strings, that takes your music up a notch and makes that beautiful, crisp sound you get with bass guitars.”</p><p>You spend hours in the sports hall with Matias instructing you how to use your none-playing fingers to stop strings playing, and using your thumb to pluck the E string in a hurry. Eventually he starts playing along with his guitar, and the music fills the sports hall. Matias’ plays to complement your tune and beat, and by the end of the jam session, you feel like you’re more confident with the bass than you’d ever imagined you could be, and your better friends with Matias than you ever thought you would be.</p><p>You’re great friends with Matias. At the prompt ‘<span class="u">MATIAS</span>’ turn to 74</p><p>You’ve learnt how to play bass guitar and are confident enough to perform in front of others now. At the prompt ‘<span class="u">BASS GUITAR’</span> Turn to 45</p><p>You obtained the Mysterious Ending clue: It’s first word, letter C.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let's talk about Matias.</p><p>The Ultimate Guitarist was one of the first ultimates I wrote down as a character to consider, and he sort of just formed around the title. When I was assigning countries of origin, I couldn't decide if Matias should be from Spain or Mexico, so for the sakes of story his father is Spanish and his mother is Mexican, making him Latino. Originally he was going to be a very outgoing character, but as he developed in my mind I realised he was better suited to be introverted, letting his music do the talking more. He takes up the stereotypical Danganronpa role of the 'other designated friend', such as Yasuhiro, Soda and Kaito, which also overlaps with the 'cool older bro' a lot.</p><p>As for his Ultimate though, I focus a lot on bass guitars because that's what I play! Not very well, mind you, but it's fun to write what you know so you're not having to research every five minutes on techniques on how to play. His 4th event is also highly inspired by a co-worker I once met, who worked his entire life as a guitarist on the pub circuit, before working at my old workplace. He found out I'd spent my first ever paycheck on a brand new bass guitar and kept coming over to chat with me regularly throughout the day to give me tips and tell me about his old job. He loves bass guitars, but also plays 6 string, and he's the one that told me you can tell if someone playing the bass isn't actually a bassist.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend time with Chiara</p><p>You find her in the nurse’s office, carefully examining the medicines and tools in the cupboards with her usual, down her nose stare. You knock lightly on the door to grab her attention.</p><p>“Hey Chiara.” You greet. She barely turns to acknowledge you. “What’s going on?”</p><p>“I’m investigating the medicine stores of this establishment.” Chiara states, almost bored. “Someone should, and I suppose I’m the most qualified to do so.”</p><p>She turns back to the cupboards, pulling out more bottles and checking more dates. You step a little closer.</p><p>“Would you like a hand?” You ask. She tutts loudly.</p><p>“No, I’m quite alright.” She says. You continue to stand in silence for a while. “Do you know what epidemiology is?” She asks eventually. At least she is making conversation.</p><p>“It’s a field of study, right?” You ask. “Related to medicine.”</p><p>“Correct. From the Latin ‘Epi’-above, ‘demos’ society, and ‘ology’ study, epidemiology is the study of disease and health from a population perspective, as opposed to the individual view common in clinical medicine.” Chiara rattles off. Once she gets started, she doesn’t seem to stop. “It is intrinsically linked to statistics and preventative medicines.”</p><p>“So what do you do as an epidemiologist?” You ask.</p><p>“Well there are various sectors of course. Veterinary, human, plant, it’s an area vital within One Health medicine. I haven’t quite decided my preferred area yet, so I’m keeping my options open.” Chiara replies. She still doesn’t turn from the medicine cabinet, but there’s a sparkle in her voice that says she’s enjoying the company at least.</p><p>“It sounds important.” You add.</p><p>“It is. In the modern day, an understanding of the spread and incidence of a disease could be all that stands between us and an apocalypse. No doubt, with the increase in antimicrobial resistance as well, it will become even more vital in the years to come.” Chiara says it almost wistfully, before snapping back and realising just how much she’d talked. Blushing bright red beneath her mask, she hurries to the door. “I’m done here.”</p><p>She doesn’t say good-bye, but you feel like you got to see a side to her you hadn’t seen before.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with John.</p><p>You find him in the cinema, fiddling with the cables attached to the screen. He seems deep in thought, and visibly jumps when you call out a greeting.</p><p>“Ahh! Mel, don’t do that.” He scolds, turning back to the wires.</p><p>“Sorry John. What are you up to?” You ask.</p><p>“I found some old sci-fi movies in one of the boxes, I wanted check that the cinema was up and working so we could watch them.” John explains. He steps back, presses a button on the remote, and the screen lights up, showing the studios involved with production. “Success!”</p><p>“What sort of old sci-fi movies are those then?” You ask, taking a seat in the front row. John looks at you nervously, as if trying to figure out if you were really asking or just humoring him. “I’ve watched a few Star Wars movies myself, is there anything else that good?”</p><p>John’s face brightens up as he grabs a pile of DVDs and flounces into the chair next to you. “Oh man I’ve found all the best classics, we’ll have to watch them all! Star Wars, Star Trek, HitchHiker’s Guide… Man, they even put in a few Frankenstein’s!”</p><p>“Wait, as in by Mary Shelley? Isn’t that more Sorin’s cup of tea?” You ask.</p><p>“Well, I’ll give you that is is gothic horror, and a very famous one at that. But Frankenstein is widely considered to be one of the first mainstream Sci-fi novels of all time. There’s a few others that also vie for the title, but it’s hard to argue that Frankenstein wasn’t the most influential and well known of them all.”</p><p>“It doesn’t take place in space though, does it?” You ask. John shakes his head with a big grin.</p><p>“Sci-fi isn’t about space, you know. ‘Science Fiction’ is a wide genre covering a wide variety of different topics and mediums, it’s just that the whole ‘aliens’ thing is the most famous.” John looks at his pile of DVDs and sighs lovingly.</p><p>“So, what non-alien topics are there?”</p><p>“Oh, there’s the usual ‘core science’ science fictions, like Frankenstein, which is all about biology and chemistry and using science to create new life. That’s a common theme. There’s also horror Sci-fi, which you might think of ‘Alien’, but ‘I Am Legend’ is also a sci-fi and features zombies instead. And who can forget 1984? It’s dystopian, set in the future, and a dark view of society. That’s what makes a good Sci-fi Mel, it gets you to think.”</p><p>“It’s quite a broad subject then.” You nod in agreement.</p><p>“There’s a movie for every mood, a book for every setting, a show for every topic. Stick around and I might just show you some more.”</p><p>“I’d like that.” You smile at John, and he gives you back a very big smile in return.</p><p>You sit in the cinema a while longer as John shows you the boxes of some of his favourite movies. You feel like you got to know John a little bit better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with John.</p><p>You don’t have a hard time finding him either, as he’s laid out on the classroom floor, listening to some eerie music playing on a stereo. It’s borderline creepy, and you almost decide to leave when John notices your presence and sits up.</p><p>“Hey Mel! Come to be bored some more by Sci-fi?” He asks, a little sheepishly, turning the stereo off. “We can talk about something else this time if you want.”</p><p>“No, it’s alright, it was quite a fun conversation last time. What are you listening to?” You ask, pointing at the stereo. “It sounded spooky.”</p><p>“Oh it is. It’s a prog rock/classical adaptation of the first alien invasion novel. It’s meant to be creepy. This chapter has the narrator travelling through ruined London as the red weed has taken over all life on the planet.” John explains with hand movements emphasising how dire the situation is. “Have you ever heard of it?”</p><p>“I might have? Can you jog my memory a bit?” You ask.</p><p>“War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells. It’s famous for how bleak and horrifying it is, and the fact that it predates the World Wars by 15 years. People reckoned he’d foreseen them, he always refuted it.” John explains. “The musical is great though, some of the songs are so good they transcend the actual story and joined the charts as their own songs. Perfectly sombre and terrifying.” John finishes with a wistful look on his face.</p><p>“Oh I think I have heard of that one. Didn’t it cause mass panic in America?”</p><p>“Yes!” John says with a glint in his eye, leaping forward in excitement, before realising how awkward of a reaction that was. “I mean, yeah. A radio station had a man called Welles read the story, and he did it as a news report of aliens attacking New York.”</p><p>“It must have been frightening.” You agree.</p><p>“Well, maybe not. There are rumours that the mass hysteria was made up; it didn’t actually happen. But it makes for a good story in and of itself, doesn’t it?” John muses. “How would you react to the news that aliens were destroying the world then, Mel?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never had that news.” You laugh.</p><p>“Fair enough, but would you run and hide? Grab your family and try to outrun the invasion? Lay down and die? War of the Worlds has some fantastic moments in it that shows how humans truly are in such a devasting event. The rich rubs shoulders with the poor and the beggars, all their wealth meaningless in the wake of the apocalypse…”</p><p>“All this after last time you told me Sci-fi isn’t all about alien invasions.” You tease, sitting down next to John. He flushes bright red.</p><p>“Well, it’s not. But aliens sell, and War of the Worlds is hardly ‘another alien story’, it invented the alien invasion genre. And this adaptation,” John turns the stereo on again, the narrators voice blaring to life with a sombre tone, “Is possibly the best Sci-fi adaptation I know.”</p><p>John lays back down again, and you lay down next to him, closing your eyes and focusing on the music. The narrator stops, and after a brief moment, a cacophany of violins start up, closely followed by drums and a synthesiser. It’s strange, but John jives along to the music, and you can’t help but dance along too.</p><p>You end up listening to the entire album laid out on that floor and leave with a better understanding of War of the Worlds, Prog rock operas, and John.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In case you were curious, this is an actual CD that you can listen to, its called 'John Wayne's Orchestral Version of War Of The Worlds'. 10/10 would highly reccomend, and you can listen to it free online, on video sharing websites. 'Forever Autumn' is the song that became it's own song in its own right and it is absolutely beautiful.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend time with Yared.</p><p>After searching for a while you find him sat in the gym watching Khesar and Pascal having a sparring match. You sit down next to him.</p><p>“Who’s winning then?” You ask. Yared gives a huffed laugh.</p><p>“Pascal, of course. But Khesar’s not bad.”</p><p>You watch for a while as Pascal ends up chasing Khesar around the gym to continue their match while Khesar tries to tap out. You can’t help but laugh at their shenanigans, but Yared barely breaks a smile.</p><p>“Not enjoying the match?” You ask. Yared looks up and shakes his head.</p><p>“Nah, it’s good fun, honestly. I’m just not the type to laugh.”</p><p>Yared turns back to watch where Khesar was now climbing the ropes at the far side of the gym, while Pascal desperately tries to chase him with no luck.</p><p>“You all must be sick of me.” Yared moans. You turn to look at him in shock.</p><p>“Sick of you? Why?” You ask.</p><p>“I’m the Ultimate Hero, right? I should be saving everyone. And yet, here we are. Stuck in this school with a killing game going on. It’s miserable. And I can’t do anything.” Yared drops his head into his hands in defeat.</p><p>“Hey, you’re only human.” You insist. “You can’t be the hero every time.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I am, aren’t I? I don’t even want to be, trouble just finds me.” Yared groans.</p><p>“Don’t pressure yourself about it. We’ll find a way out together.” You insist, but Yared has already gotten to his feet and left.</p><p>You feel like you might have upset Yared, but you don’t know how. He seems pretty stressed by the events here, maybe you should try to help him more?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Kai</p><p>You find her in the dining hall, scribbling in a journal very quickly and looking quite annoyed. Maybe you should leave her alone for now? But at the sound of someone coming in she looks up and smiles at you.</p><p>“Hey Mel! Come over here a sec, I need you.”</p><p>You’re not quite sure what this is about, but you head over anyway, taking a seat at the same table as Kai. Her writing looks like chicken scratch and you can’t make out any words, but she quickly flips the pages over and places a different page down in front of you, handing you a pencil.</p><p>“Solve this for me real quick, will ya?” She asks.</p><p>It’s a sudoku puzzle, and not a particularly tough one at that. But you diligently get to work while she watches, twiddling her fingers all the while. You hand it back 3 minutes later, solved.</p><p>“Well? What do you think? And be honest.” She asks.</p><p>“It was pretty easy, actually.” You admit. Her face falls. “Fun! But easy.”</p><p>“Damnit, I knew this was a thankless task.” She moans, throwing the journal over her shoulder.</p><p>“What were you working on?” You ask. She smiles again.</p><p>“Ah well, it’s getting to the five year anniversary of Puzzle Mansion Mania. I was thinking I should do something for it, you know? Maybe update it with some more puzzles, or re-release it with better graphics and improved puzzles.” Kai said with a shrug. “Have you ever played it?”</p><p>“Yeah, I have. I finished it in a day.” You admit gleefully.</p><p>“A day? It was that easy?” She asks. “It took me 3 months to make!”</p><p>“Well, when I say a day, I mean I pulled an all nighter and finished it just short of the 24 hour mark…” You try to console her. “And isn’t three months pretty quick to make a game in?” You ask.</p><p>“Well, yeah, for other people. But I’m known for my speed.” Kai brags. “You know, I hold the record for fastest gameplay-to-production ratio of any game. But to beat one of my games in a day, you must be quite the dedicated gamer!”</p><p>“Well, I am known for my puzzle solving.” You joke back. “If you need any more puzzles testing, I’m always up for one.”</p><p>Kai hums in thought, before giving another brilliant grin. “It’s a deal. Puzzle Mansion Mania will be the best puzzle game ever with our collaboration now!” She leaps out of her chair, rushing out of the room. “I have work to do!”</p><p>She left behind her journal. She’s a fast paced girl, but you feel like you got to know a bit more about her work today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Siobhan.</p><p>You search for her a while and eventually find her in one of the classrooms. She’s managed to find a beanbag and is sat in it quietly and quickly knitting. At the sound of you entering the room she looks up from her work with a smirk.</p><p>“Ah, back again to be bored mindless by knitting, are we?” She asks snarkily.</p><p>“Oh, I don’t find it boring. It looks fascinating, whatever it is your doing.” You shrug. It’s not the same project as the last time, this one features more needles for one.</p><p>“I knew knitting was the right choice then. Can you imagine if you’d been locked down with the Ultimate Quilter? You’d be bored stiff.” Siobhan jokes. She holds up her current project so you can see it better. “Thought I’d go back to basics and knit a cabled hat.”</p><p>“I don’t see any cables, just lots of needles.” You say, tilting your head as if that would give you a better view of the work. Siobhan snorts.</p><p>“It’s a type of stitch, Mel. Come, sit down. Let me explain stitches to you then.” She stands up from the beanbag, goes to a cupboard and pulls out another bean bag chair for you, which you obediently sit down in. Siobhan returns to her own seat and picks up her knitting again.</p><p>“I thought stitches were a needlepoint thing, but I guess it’s in most textiles then?” You ask.</p><p>“Yeah, most textile arts have similarities anyway, but a lot of them use ‘stitches’ as a term. I bet you can name the main stitch in *knitting*” Siobhan says, emphasising the last word.</p><p>“Is it, by any chance, knitting?” You ask.</p><p>“Wow, how could you guess? Yup, knitting is, for the most part, made up of the stitches ‘knit’ and ‘purl’, but even then, they’re just the same stitch viewed from different sides. A purl is a backwards knit, and a knit a backwards purl. Everything else in knitting is just made up of those two but made fancy.”</p><p>“So what’s this cable you were talking about?” You ask, peering at the hat.</p><p>“You’ve seen cabling, it’s right below the stocking stitch in how famous it is. You know those twisted parts you often see on clothes? The plaited stitches? That’s a cable. Just most people don’t know what it’s called. Oh, here.” Siobhan grabs the edge of your jumper sleeve and points to the last few inches. “This bumpy pattern here is called ‘ribbing’, it doesn’t curl so it’s usually found on the ends of a piece.”</p><p>“I thought you said there were only two stitches?”</p><p>“There are. Cables are made by moving stitches to a third needle and stitching them after other stitches, making them stretch. Ribbing is done by knit one, purl one, or multiples thereof. Still just 2 stitches.” Siobhan explains. “But this is probably not that interesting, huh?”</p><p>“I think you’ve lost me a bit, to be honest.” You admit. “But it sounds interesting.”</p><p>“It is. I haven’t got it here, but I do own a book with over 400 different stitches to be used in knitting.”</p><p>“That’s a lot of ways to make two stitches look fancy.” You remark with a whistle. Siobhan chuckles.</p><p>“Yup. That’s not even covering the different effects you get from different yarns, or how the different yarns work up in a piece, such as the blending of wool or the rigidity of cotton. There’s a lot to knitting, you know. It’s not just push two needles over each other with some yarn. But, it can also be just that. You don’t have to know everything to make a good piece, and you’re not guaranteed to make a good piece just because you know everything. It’s temperamental, and I like that.”</p><p>You sit together for a while longer, Siobhan knitting while you fiddle with a puzzle cube you’d brought along, chatting about her plans to stop this game through the power of friendship. You feel like you got to know her better today, too.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some more time with Siobhan.</p><p>This time you find her in the cinema, sat in the front row with a movie playing quietly, the lights on and, unsurprisingly, with a knitting project in her lap. She turns to the sound of you entering the room, and gives you a slight wave.</p><p>“Hey Mel, come to hear more on the most exciting, exhilarating hobby ever created?” She jokes. You sit down next to her. It is, once again, a different project altogether. She notices you staring and shrugs. “I found a pattern to knit a scarf that looks like a snake in my room, I had to make it.”</p><p>“It sounds like something up your alley.” You joke back. Siobhan seems to pay little attention to her knitting, focusing more on the movie, but she pauses it to talk to you instead.</p><p>“I should ask about your hobby more, shouldn’t I? Found any good puzzles lately?” She asks.</p><p>“A good puzzle? Let me think…” You muse. “Alright, how’s this? Name three consecutive days without naming Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.”</p><p>Siobhan pauses her knitting for a second, before replying “Yesterday, Today and Tommorow. I asked for a good one Mel.”</p><p>“Alright then. Name a 8 letter word that, as you remove each letter, it still forms a word, right down to the last letter.” You try.</p><p>Siobhan pauses again, this time a little bit longer. She pulls out a pencil, jots down some notes on her pattern, before replying. “Starting, right? Starting, staring, string, sting, sing, sin, in and I.”</p><p>“You’re too good at this. How did the Ultimate Knitter get so good at puzzles?” You tease.</p><p>“Maybe you just pose poor riddles.” Siobhan taunts.</p><p>“Oh, you want to hear a good question then? How about…</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Why did you take up knitting? (Go to 28)</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Why are you so deprecating about knitting? (Go to 29)</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Do you have any other hobbies? (Go to 30)</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What was it that made you take up knitting, over all other arts? Why did you become the Ultimate Knitter out of everything you could have been?”</p><p>“That’s… a good puzzle.” Siobhan agrees. She knits on in silence for a moment, checks her work, and puts it down. “Most people would answer that their grandmother taught them.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t then?”</p><p>“No, I refused to learn when I was little, and by the time I realised I did want to learn, my grandfather couldn’t teach me anymore.” Siobhan replies sadly. “He was the family knitter, and a damn good one too. Minor celebrity in the village for it, every new baby got clothes hand made by him for over 60 years.”</p><p>“Wow, that’s a lot of clothes.”</p><p>“Yeah, it is. The year he died, one of the girls in the village had a really hard time, and ended up pregnant too. It would just top everything off that she’d be the first person to not get Flynn clothes for the baby, everyone thought it was such a tragedy. I didn’t want to see her so sad anymore, and since I had the same surname as my Grandad, surely it was practically the same thing, right?”</p><p>“So you knitted her some clothes?”</p><p>“Not straight away, I had a few months to learn. Or rather, to teach myself. No-one else would, so I stole my Grandad’s old magazines, yarn and needles and got to work. I made scarves, then hats, then a small toy, and then I decided I was good enough to make the clothes.”</p><p>“How were they?”</p><p>“Dreadful. They were 5 sizes too big for the baby, and when I handed them over, I got more laughs than appreciation. But, the mam was so happy that I tried, and that’s all that mattered. That’s all I needed to knit the next set of clothes, and the next, and the next.”</p><p>“Could’ve been worse, they could have been 5 sizes too small. At least a baby will grow into too big clothes.”</p><p>“Exactly what the mam said.” Siobhan nods. “This was back when I was, what, 7? By 10 I’d made everything in the magazines I’d managed to salvage, so I started designing my own, first using the patterns as a guide, then just using my knowledge.”</p><p>“By ‘as a guide’, you mean…?”</p><p>“Mostly for shaping, for teddy bears and the like, so they had the correct shape. Then I experimented by changing the shaping, making circular bears, square bears, long bears and flat bears. I, uh, made a lot of bears back then.”</p><p>“You said before that they’re surprisingly difficult, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, good to practice with. But I realised quickly that I didn’t want to just carry on Grandad’s legacy, I wanted to be my own knitter. So new babies stopped getting new clothes, and got a brand new teddy bear instead, each baby had an entirely unique one.”</p><p>“You can’t outgrow a teddy bear.” You nod sagely.</p><p>“Exactly. When I was 12 I started selling the patterns locally, then at 14 I sold them to magazines instead, and last year I started selling them on the internet. That’s about the time I got the Ultimate Title, too. When people realised I could not only design unique, bizarre creations, but flawlessly make any pattern given to me as well.”</p><p>Siobhan continues knitting the scarf, the look in her eyes at the snake she’s making suddenly being more recognisable to you. It’s one of love at the creation she’s forming.</p><p>You definitely feel like you got to know her better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Why does the Ultimate Knitter speak so poorly of knitting every time I see her?” You ask. Siobhan raises an eyebrow at you, seemingly not impressed, but replies anyway.</p><p>“Knitting has quite a sour reputation, sadly. One that’s completely unfounded.”</p><p>“Sour? I don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad thing about it.”</p><p>“No? Have you never heard someone tell older ladies fighting for their rights to ‘go back to their knitting’? Have you never heard someone use knitting as synonymous for a dull, boring and repetitive task with no excitement to it whatsoever?” Siobhan asks harshly, pulling hard on her yarn in frustration.</p><p>“Maybe, but why do you speak ill of it then?”</p><p>“Cos I know how people view it. What’s the point of insisting it is exciting when no-one will believe you? So I might as well go overboard. It’s more adrenaline pumping than sky diving, you know. And stuff like that. It gets a laugh, and breaks down the idea of it being a boring, stuffy hobby done by little old ladies.”</p><p>Siobhan still has a sour look on her face though, and doesn’t speak again, instead turning the movie back on and focusing on that. After a few, very awkward minutes you leave, feeling slightly disappointed at your conversation today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“When someone’s Ultimate is both a hobby and a career, what other hobbies might they have?” You ask. Siobhan looks at you curiously.</p><p>“Are you asking what else I do with my time, other than knitting?” She asks; you nod. “It’s nothing exciting, I’ll tell you now.”</p><p>“But I do want to know.” You insist.</p><p>“Why? What do you do with your free time?” Siobhan asks.</p><p>“I like to find new hobbies and try them out, I don’t stick with much, but meeting everyone here is a great way to find new hobbies.” You say cheerily. Siobhan chuckles.</p><p>“Yeah, I bet it is. Well, I like other textile crafts, of course. Bit of needlework, bit of latch hook, bit of crochet. I want to try lace at some point, since you can do lace in knitting but nothing quite like proper lace, and I found some fat quarters in the supply room for a patchwork quilt.” Siobhan says, a slight dreamy quality to her tone.</p><p>“So basically, you like working with fabrics and yarn?”</p><p>“Yeah, plus learning one helps you learn the rest faster, and the skills are applicable across different mediums. For example, with latch hook you can make some really stunning manes and tassles on teddy bears, and with needlework skills you can sew up clothes to fit perfectly and sit nicely too.”</p><p>“But don’t you do anything outside of textiles? Or is it just textiles all day, every day?”</p><p>Siobhan pauses for a moment, a soft smile spreading across her lips.</p><p>“I like foraging too.”</p><p>“Foraging? As in, going out to get wild berries?”</p><p>“Yeah, nothing quite beats a homemade blackberry crumble where the blackberry and rosehip syrup were all collected for free from the wilds around your house. I don’t know if it’s the extra effort, or the fact that the key ingredients are free, but it tastes so much better foraged.”</p><p>“Have you ever eaten anything dangerous though?”</p><p>“Nah, I’ve got a good little book that lists all the berries and flowers you can eat, and which ones you should leave. It even lists them according to the month, so you know what to look out for. But by this point, I have most of it memorised.”</p><p>Siobhan leans back in her chair looking content. “It’s nice to be outside in the country, listening to the birds, whistling back to them. I think that’s what I’m gonna do first when we get out of here.”</p><p>“Whistle at some birds?” You ask teasingly.</p><p>“Whistle at some birds.” Siobhan nods back sagely. Her eyes fly open and a wicked grin stretches across her face. “Oh Mel, have you ever heard of making itchy bombs from rosehips?”</p><p>“Uh, no?”</p><p>“Oh, good. Hey, do you want to go foraging with me when this is all over?” Siobhan asks, the grin widening.</p><p>“Not anymore, no.” You stutter.</p><p>“Aww, come on. It’s good fun.” Siobhan teases, but it quickly turns into a laugh. You shove her playfully, and she pretends to stab you back with her scissors. You end up sitting in there with her watching the movie to the end.</p><p>You definitely feel like you got to know Siobhan better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Chapter 31</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some more time with Siobhan.</p><p>This time you find her in the supply room, searching through the balls of yarn there with great interest. She spots you and gives you a slight nod in welcome.</p><p>“Looking for something?” You ask. Siobhan shrugs.</p><p>“I had a project in mind, but I don’t have the yarn I want for it in my room, so I thought I’d search here instead. There’s certainly plenty of choice.”</p><p>“Yes, there’s definitely a lot of different colours.” You say offhandedly. Siobhan smirks and throws a fluffy ball at your face.</p><p>“Different fibres too, different styles. I was hoping for some extremely chunky yarn to do some arm knitting, but there doesn’t seem to be any. Shame. That stuffs expensive as hell, so I’ve never gotten a chance to try it.”</p><p>“Arm knitting? Is that-“</p><p>“Knitting using your arms as needles, yes. Blankets are extremely quick to make with that, but you need lots of very thick yarn to pull it off and make it look good. Guess I’ll just keep hoping to get some someday.” Siobhan says wistfully, stepping back from the yarn pile. She stops, looks again, and starts grabbing yarn regardless, in a multitude of colours, “But it won’t stop me from making something.”</p><p>“What are you making this time?” You ask.</p><p>“Never you mind.” Siobhan snaps, still arms deep in the yarn pile. She steps back with a good 20 balls stuffed in her arms, which she promptly drops on the floor, taking off her jacket to wrap and carry them more easily. That leather jacket that seems so out of place on the Ultimate Knitter. “Care to follow?”</p><p>Siobhan heads back to her room, and you follow suit. She lets you in and you can’t help but be amazed by the endless piles and boxes of yarn, sorted in an unknown fashion, with colours splayed all across the room. Some of it looks so fluffy and soft you can’t help but want to touch it, but you fear Siobhan’s retribution if you were to do so. Siobhan spots you staring and smirks, grabbing a ball from one of the boxes.</p><p>“Silk and cotton blend this one, damn expensive. But if you know what you’re looking at, you can get a good deal on yarns in charity shops and the like. Not everyone knows what they’re selling, but I know what I’m buying.” Siobhan says smugly. It’s slightly rougher than you’d have thought, but there’s an undeniable quality to it. “The boxes are sorted by the feel of them, not the blend, so there’s alpaca, llama, sheep, mohair, you name it, dotted around this room. But the cottons tend to stick together.”</p><p>There’s something else that catches your eye past all the yarn. The posters on the room, starring rock stars and dark themes, often featuring fantasy creatures, weapons, and demonic symbolism. There’s no doubt about it, this room suits Siobhan to a tee. She catches you staring at the posters too. “Got a problem with it?”</p><p>“No, no, not at all. It’s just… I never would’ve guessed the Ultimate Knitter would be so… alternative, I guess? I dunno, are you punk or goth?”</p><p>“Fuck labels man, those belong on my yarns, not me.” Siobhan curses, but her smile says she doesn’t mind the question. “Looking scary means I get less shit from people who think a knitter should be soft, housewife-like domestic goddesses.”</p><p>“I don’t think I could see you as a ‘domestic goddess’.” You agree.</p><p>“Exactly, but people didn’t always see me that way. Some people will see a gal that likes traditional crafts and think she’s a traditional sort of gal. Not me.” Siobhan spits. “And, I know it seems that way to someone not into knitting, but there’s a lot of cross over between alternative and knitting, you know.”</p><p>“I demand to know more.” You say, cautiously picking up a ball of yarn as Siobhan watches. It has lambs depicted on the label.</p><p>“Have you ever heard of the world championship for Heavy Metal knitting, Mel?” Siobhan asks. You almost drop the yarn in surprise, but Siobhan merely laughs. “It’s *exactly* as awesome as it sounds. It takes place in Sweden and features heavy metal bands playing killer music while also knitting. I want to see it live someday.”</p><p>“I’ve known about it for exactly one minute and I want to see it live now.” You say in shock. Siobhan laughs again. “But is there more overlap than that?”</p><p>“Alternative styles usually arise from trying to live cheaply. Grunge was created by buying charity shop clothes, punk was about clothes that lasted a long time and was good for fighting skinheads in. Knitting might be seen as an old lady thing, but if you have the time to do it, it’s cheaper to make a scarf from a £2 ball of yarn that’ll last longer and be warmer than a £5 factory made scarf from the shop. And not to mention, you can make anything from yarn if you really set your heart to it. Whatever your style is, if you know what you’re doing, you can knit a piece to match it.”</p><p>Siobhan turns around and starts rifling through one of the boxes, and pulls out a pair of arm warmers. Striped in dark colours and featuring a corset style seam, you can’t help but think how well they suit Siobhan in her leather jacket and boots, and suddenly you understand exactly what she means.</p><p>“Knitting isn’t all about old people making baby clothes.” Siobhan insists. “It’s about using the art passed down for centuries to make warm clothes you feel loved in, and making it into items that suit you, that you can love, and feel comfortable in. Whether its traditional knitting, or knitting for an alternative fashion, it’s still knitting. And it is wonderful.”</p><p>You feel like you got to understand Siobhan a lot better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Chapter 32</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend more time with Siobhan</p><p>You find her in the classroom, spread out in the bean bag again, knitting with large needles and some fairly thick yarn. She looks up as she hears you entering and smiles.</p><p>“Damn, you caught me.” She curses, but waves you over anyway.</p><p>“You seem to have a different project every time we talk.” You point out. Siobhan snorts.</p><p>“Not always because I’ve finished the last one though. Think of it as a sort of ‘mental crop rotation’; if you grew the same crop in the same field every year you’d use up all the good stuff in the soil. It’s the same with art, you need different projects to keep yourself interested and in tip top creating condition.”</p><p>“Oh, I was wondering how you managed to get through them so quick.”</p><p>“I’m a fast knitter. But not quite that fast.” Siobhan laughs. She flicks out her project, revealing a long, very thick blanket. It looks soft, fuzzy, and looks ridiculously warm. “I’ve been working on this one for a while, and it’s nearly finished.”</p><p>“It looks good!” You say. “Can I touch it?”</p><p>“Go ahead.”</p><p>You run a hand along the blanket. There’s an unusual texture to it, with the cables you saw on the hat Siobhan was making before running along the full length, but its very soft. You have to snap yourself out of your head to stop stroking it.</p><p>“It’s lovely.” You say wistfully.</p><p>“Thanks. I love blanket designs, but they take so long and so much yarn, I rarely actually finish one. But this one is so close to finished, I can’t wait.” Siobhan says excitedly. “Just another row, and then I can cast off.”</p><p>You watch her in silence a while, the needles loudly clacking away. A question you’d been pondering a while comes to your lips.</p><p>“Hey, I was wondering…” You start. Siobhan turns slightly to look at you, still knitting at her normal, rapid pace. “I mean, I understand Yared taking a leadership role, as the Ultimate Hero, but how come you stepped up to the plate too?”</p><p>“You understand Yared stepping up? Heroes tend to work alone, don’t they?” Siobhan asks.</p><p>“Well, so do knitters, right? It’s not exactly a team sport.”</p><p>“Maybe, but I’m the Ultimate Knitter, you don’t get a title like that for only being good at one or two areas of knitting. You have to be good at every aspect of it. Do you know what the single most important part of knitting is?”</p><p>“No, but I think you’ll tell me regardless.”</p><p>“It’s not the actual knitting, strangely enough. It’s not the projects, it’s not the yarn, it’s not even the needles. It’s the knitters themselves; the people that make the knitting.” Siobhan explains. “With industrialisation, there was a real risk of the old crafts being thrown out, because they weren’t ‘needed’ anymore. Knitting had gone from a skill every family needed in order to keep warm, to a sign of days gone by. If it wasn’t for the knitters being keen on their art, it very well might have died out years ago.”</p><p>“Would an entire craft die out like that?” You ask.</p><p>“I don’t know. I love knitting, but if everyone around the world actually hated it, everyone would have given it up when it was no longer vital for survival, surely. But knitters loved it enough to carry on regardless, and pass it on to the next generation, and the next. And that’s what’s important for knitting: teaching the next generation.”</p><p>“This doesn’t really answer the leadership thing though…”</p><p>“I was getting to that. Back in the old days, women would get together while their husbands were at work to knit and talk together, to keep friendships strong and stave off loneliness. We continue that tradition to today, in ‘knit and natters’. That’s where more experienced knitters teach new knitters how to knit, and share skills and patterns.”</p><p>“I think I’ve heard of those before.” You say.</p><p>“You might have heard of them as ‘stitch and bitch’s instead. It’s more accurate.” Siobhan laughs. “Not necessarily the ‘bitch’ part, but the more generic ‘stitch’. Often knitting circles are open to a variety of textile crafts to ensure they’re all carried on, and you get a beautiful mix at each meeting. Knitting and crochet tends to dominate, but I’ve seen embroidery, sewing, felting, latchhook. Heck, I’ve even seen a proggy matt at one of our meet ups.”</p><p>“Proggy matt?”</p><p>“A rag rug, the crafter called it a ‘proggy matt’ though, it’s got regional names. Potato sacking with old clothes poked through, very traditional.” Siobhan explains quickly.</p><p>“So you attend these knit and natters?”</p><p>“Attend? I have to. I lead it.” Siobhan says with a shrug. “That’s why I immediately jumped into helping lead us. I’m used to getting people with different interests to get along, to chat, to make friends. It’s what a stitch and bitch is for. And helping teach new people. Admittedly, it’s not the most involved thing to run, or the most exhilarating, but it has its own challenges, so when we found out what was going on, I immediately went to Yared to offer my skills to help lead us out of here. And I will do just that. Trust me.”</p><p>Siobhan pulls a pair of scissors out of seemingly nowhere and snips the yarn, threading it through the last stitch with flourish and pulling it tight. The blanket is finished. She then pulls out a large crochet hook and starts weaving in the ends.</p><p>“Sorry, I know I’m not the most exciting conversationalist, knitting’s not the most interesting subject for non-knitters to talk about.” Siobhan apologises.</p><p>“If it was that bad, I wouldn’t have come back.” You point out. Siobhan smiles at you.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess that’s true. Here.” Siobhan gathers the blanket and hands it to you. It’s very heavy, and you look at her a little baffled. “A gift. As a thank you for listening to me ramble.”</p><p>She quickly leaves the room without hearing your reply, still carrying the needles in her hand. The blanket is already warming you up immensely, but its so cosy, you almost feel like you could nap here right now, under the blanket…</p><p>Regardless, you feel like Siobhan wouldn’t have given you this blanket, which she herself said she rarely gets to make, if you hadn’t become close friends. It must be a good sign.</p><p>
  <span class="u">You’re now close friends with Siobhan. At Prompt ‘SIOBHAN’ turn to 75</span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">You’ve received the warm blanket. At Prompt ‘KNITTED BLANKET’ turn to 100.</span>
</p><p>You obtained the Mysterious Ending clue: It’s first word, letter T.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Time to chat about Siobhan Flynn.</p><p>Siobhan is the team artsy person, and like most of the rest of the characters here fills one of the recurring Danganronpa roles, the 'girl guide' style of role, filled by Kirigiri, Chiaki and Maki in the games. Personality wise she's more like Maki and Kirigiri than Chiaki, but she's there to help guide the player/reader to the correct answer and keep the trial running smoothly. You might be wondering why a knitter would be any good at a murder investigation. Strangely enough, there seems to be a lot of knitters that enjoy watching true crime/murder investigation programmes as they knit, so it's not impossible.</p><p>When creating characters, I first created their Ultimates, then decided on a gender, then a country of origin and finally a name. I put a fair amount of research into naming the characters so I wasn't just naming them the most stereotypical name possible, often seeking inspiration in real life people from the decided upon country. Siobhan really didn't get that treatment though. Siobhan is, unsurprisingly, from Ireland, and Siobhan is one of my favourite Irish names. Her surname was chosen from a list of common Irish surnames. So she's not exactly named 'Molly O'Reily', but she's probably not much better than it. Siobhan is actually one of the first characters I invented for this story, and definitely the first one who was developed enough to properly start writing. It's why she might be more consistent throughout the story, as opposed to Seulgi or Skye who were invented maybe a day before I started writing. </p><p>I think it's easy to tell which Ultimates I actually know about, and I do do a lot of textiles. Currently quilting is my main go to, hence why Siobhan takes the piss out of it, and cross stitch is my longest running hobby and 15 years since I first learnt. I do knit too, mostly teddy bears as well. I love a good teddy bear. The world Heavy Metal Knitting championships does exist too, check it out if you don't believe me it's the most badass thing ever. </p><p>Oh and for anyone curious, 'proggy' is the term for the rag rugs in my corner of the UK. I love proggy. It's very soft. And you miiiiiiight be able to make teddy bears from it. And I miiiiiiiiiight take up hobbies on the basis of whether you can make teddy bears from it. You can knit teddy bears? Good hobby. You can't latchhook teddy bears? Bad hobby (I still do it though). You can proggy teddy bears? Good hobby. You can write fanfictions featuring a muderous teddy bear? BEST HOBBY.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Chapter 33</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some time with Chiara.</p><p>You find her once again in the clinic, mooching through the boxes of dry supplies filled with bandages and syringes. You stand by the doorway watching her.</p><p>“There are no needles in this box, Mel. You don’t have to look so terrified.” She remarks without turning to face you. You take it as an invite to enter the clinic. Chiara is still busy rooting around in the box. “I’m simply making sure we have enough supplies to give a first aid lesson, at Siobhan’s request.” Chiara explains.</p><p>“I’m guessing you’re first aid trained then?” You ask. Chiara tuts loudly.</p><p>“Of course. Everyone should be, you never know when you might find yourself in a predicament where the ability to wrap a bandage or assist with ingestion of a noxious substance may be vital to someone else’s survival.”</p><p>“Are you wanting to be a doctor then?” You ask. Chiara huffs loudly.</p><p>“You do not have to want to be a doctor in order to learn first aid.”</p><p>“No, but you do have to be one to be an epidemiologist, right?” You ask.</p><p>Chiara steps away from the box, thinking deeply. “You can get into epidemiology without a clinical basis, but epidemiology is not purely a human medicine subject. Why, I might want to be a dentist! You could never tell.”</p><p>“Dentists do epidemiology?” You ask, slightly incredulously.</p><p>“Epidemiology is a vital aspect of One Health, which covers all human, plant and animal diseases. As such, epidemiology is a vital aspect of all of those subjects. Although, it is seen a more research-heavy route in human medicine, especially compared to veterinary.”</p><p>“Are you saying there’s a practical aspect to veterinary epidemiology?”</p><p>“Tell me, Mel. What is it that you think farm vets do?” Chiara asks, staring down her nose at you once again. You feel as if you’re suddenly placed in front of a class and demanded an answer, one that feels too easy.</p><p>“They treat sick farm animals, right?”</p><p>“Indeed, just as a cardiologist treats hearts. But the vision of vets being called out to a farm to deal with a single cow that’s suffering from hypocalcaemia is not true to the modern day. Modern farm vets often deal with applied epidemiology more than they deal with displaced abomasums. Unless they’re called out to a small holding or a hobby farmer, most of their work revolves around treating the herd, not the individual.</p><p>“Wow, so what exactly are they dealing with then?”</p><p>“Depends on the herd. Mastitis, lameness, production values. Different farms have different goals and environments to work with, and each farm needs a detailed and personalised plan to best make use of what they have. Tell me, have you ever heard of ‘SARA’?”</p><p>“Can’t say I have.”</p><p>“Sub-Acute Ruminal Acidosis. In layman’s terms, a slight change in the pH of the cow’s stomach compartment, the rumen. Being sub-acute, the symptoms are barely noticeable, if at all present. And yet, just that tiny change can cause large changes in the milk produced by cows, thus affecting the farm’s profitability. Just a slight mistake in the feed of cows, and the farm can make massive losses. That’s why farm health plans are so vital, and why epidemiology is so vital too. Without it, your milk would not be nearly as nutritious as it is.”</p><p>“Are you wanting to be a vet then Chiara?” You ask. Chiara gives a very slight smile.</p><p>“I have not decided. But, I think I would like to work somewhere that has such an important impact, wherever it is my road takes me.”</p><p>Chiara chases you out of the clinic not long after, but you definitely feel like you got to know her better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Chapter 34</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend more time with Chiara.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, when you head into the clinic she’s there once again. This time however, she’s closely inspecting the shelves for dust and dirt with a white glove, seemingly impressed. When you hover at the doorway again, she sighs loudly.</p><p>“Will I ever get work done with you here, Mel? Come on, sit.” She still doesn’t turn to face you, but you enter the clinic anyway and sit on one of the uncomfortable, plastic chairs. “Well? What do you want this time?”</p><p>“I just wanted to spend some time with you, I haven’t really had much of a chance to speak with you yet.” You shrug.</p><p>“We have discussed epidemiology and its importance in veterinary science, what more do you want from me? Oh, right, I suppose I am meant to ask you about yourself now. Well then?”</p><p>“I’m sorry?” You ask.</p><p>“Tell me about yourself.” Chiara demands.</p><p>“Uhhh, well, I like puzzles.” You say, slightly shocked by Chiara’s tone.</p><p>“I did figure.” Chiara snarks.</p><p>You two sit in silence staring at each other for a long while, until Chiara huffs again and turns back to checking the cleanliness of the clinic. Maybe you should ask her something instead, before you get kicked out again?</p><p>How did you get into epidemiology?<strong> (go to 35)</strong></p><p>What do you do in your spare time? <strong>(go to 36)</strong></p><p>What’s with all the cleaning? <strong>(go to 37)</strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Chapter 35</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So how did you get into epidemiology? It seems weird for someone our age to be so well known in a medical field, right?” You ask.</p><p>Chiara stops, turning slightly to your direction yet not looking directly at you. “Yes, I suppose that is true.” She takes off the glove and pulls a chair out to sit with you instead, sitting straight with perfect posture, pushing her glasses back up her nose. “Yes, it is quite the tale.”</p><p>“I would love to hear it!” You say enthusiastically. Chiara’s glare shuts you up, but she continues regardless.</p><p>“My mother died when I was fairly young, and my father got sick when I was but a child. I lived with Nonna, my grandmother, from that time to present. But I visited him everyday in hospital with Nonna.”</p><p>You’re almost taken aghast that Chiara would come out with something like that so plainly.</p><p>“When I was five, I was an… unruly child. I did not want to sit hours in a hospital staring at my dying father, so I would sneak away when Nonna was not looking.”</p><p>“You were unruly?” You ask. “I can’t imagine it.”</p><p>“Regardless, I ended up exploring the hospital quite a bit. It was a teaching hospital, you see. A lot of medical students running about, looking lost. I followed them one day, and found myself in a lecture.”</p><p>“From Nonna?”</p><p>“From a world-renowned epidemiologist. He was teaching the students about epidemiology, and they were all bored out of their minds. But I loved it. I did not understand a single word, but watching him so energised by the subject captured my imagination. When he finished and the students left, I followed him.”</p><p>“That sounds dangerous.”</p><p>“Yes, it was a foolish move on my behalf, and he was quite mad when he realised. But I was always an inquisitive child, and I asked him so many questions he was dumbfounded. When Nonna found me I got quite the earful, but he answered my questions none-the-less. From then on, I knew where to find him, and he realised I was a much better listener than his students, so he overlooked me entering his lectures. Eventually, he started teaching me one-on-one, and I quickly rose to the title you know me by today.”</p><p>“Wow, that’s quite impressive.”</p><p>“Thank you. I am quite proud of the training I have received, and very grateful of it too. I hope one day I can match his enthusiasm and love, and share it to the next generation of doctors too.” Chiara says, almost a little wistfully, as she returns to her cleaning. You don’t say it, for fear of insulting her, but you are getting the sense that despite her frosty exterior, she truly does love her field.</p><p>You definitely feel like you got to know her better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Chapter 36</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What do you do when you’re not studying population diseases then?” You ask.</p><p>“What sort of question is that?” Chiara snaps.</p><p>“Well, you have to have some sort of hobby outside of your ultimate, right? Most people do.” You shrug. Maybe you had asked a little harshly…</p><p>“Oh? What do you do when you’re not puzzling then?” Chiara asks snidely.</p><p>“Good question.” You muse, rubbing your chin in thought. “Well, I like trying out lots of things, really. I’ve dabbled a lot but never really did much outside of puzzles. Do you have any recommendations?”</p><p>Chiara sighs and puts down her cleaning cloth, turning to you and staring at you down her nose once more. “I quite enjoy plants, personally.” She tells you. “They hold such vibrant colours, and being completely in charge of another beings life is quite the preparation for being a doctor.”</p><p>“Oh? What kind of plants do you grow then?”</p><p>“Succulents, mostly. They require the least amount of care.” Chiara says coldly, but the mostly has you raising an eyebrow at her. “I also have a small herb garden, just chive and mint. They are not difficult to grow, but the mint does require constant pruning. It grows too well.”</p><p>“Succulents and herbs, eh? I think it suits you, a small garden.” You nod. You can picture Chiara, still in her doctor coat and glasses, carefully measuring out the exact water requirement for each plant.</p><p>“I… also have a bonsai bush. It was a recent acquisition, a present from Nonna. She was very proud of me being chosen to attend here, it was her way of demonstrating it.” Chiara admits, a small smile on her lips at the memory of the tree.</p><p>“Did you name any of them?” You ask.</p><p>“Name them? Don’t be foolish. They’re plants, not hamsters.” Chiara snaps, the smile quickly gone.</p><p>“Some people do name them though.” You point out.</p><p>“Well, not me.” Chiara points to the doorway. “Go on, out with you. I have had enough of your foolish games for today, thank you.”</p><p>You stand to leave, slightly taken aback by Chiara’s sudden change in tone, but you don’t want to anger her further by sticking around. But as you pass out the door, you’re almost certain you hear her say, under her breath: “Poor Nero, I hope Nonna’s taking good care of you.”</p><p>You definitely feel like you got to know Chiara better today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Chapter 37</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What’s with the obsession with cleanliness then? You always seem to be cleaning.”</p><p>“Excuse me? Would you want to deal with a doctor who did not clean to the highest standards?” Chiara snaps. “Of course I clean a lot, things get very dirty.”</p><p>“But there’s no surgeries here, you don’t need to clean every inch to be spotless.”</p><p>“Maybe not, but I want to. I had to clean at home, and I clean here. If you’re going to ask me pointless questions why don’t you just leave?” Chiara chases you out of the clinic, leaving you stood outside feeling awkward. Maybe that wasn’t the best question to ask. Hopefully she’ll calm down again soon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Chapter 38</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some more time with Chiara.</p><p>You find her, once again, in the clinic. She’s going over the boxes of medicine with a notepad and pen, making lists of them all. She lifts her head as you walk in but doesn’t turn to acknowledge you.</p><p>“What is it this time?” She asks.</p><p>“I just wanted to hang out a bit, if that’s alright?” You ask. Chiara sighs and swings around in her chair to stare you down.</p><p>“’Hang out a bit’? Ugh, fine, I suppose I’m not doing anything vital today.” She turns back round to the medicine and continues writing. You get closer to see what it is, and she glares at you.</p><p>“What are you doing?” You ask.</p><p>“Making a list of the different antibiotics available and cross referencing them with their different classes so I can make a plan of action if any gets sick.” Chiara explains. “They have different names, but a lot of them have the same action regardless of how different they appear.”</p><p>“Do you need a plan of action? Don’t you just take some when you get sick?” You ask. Chiara almost looks offended.</p><p>“How dare?! What if it is a viral disease, do you still take antibacterials then?” She demands.</p><p>“I, uh, I guess not?” You offer.</p><p>“No! You do not!” Chiara snaps. “That is dangerous to both yourself and everyone else in this school, and I will not breed antibiotic resistance just because you do not understand stewardship!” She tuts loudly and turns back to her work.</p><p>“Stewardship? What’s that?” You ask. Chiara sighs loudly again, but puts her pen down and turns to address you head-on.</p><p>“Stewardship is the process of preserving our antibiotics to ensure they continue to function for years to come.” She explains. “The alternative is free use of antibiotics, which breeds resistance, and makes antibiotics less effective.”</p><p>You raise an eyebrow, egging her to continue. Chiara quickly gets into a roll however.</p><p>“Hmm, lets start at the beginning. What is an antibiotic?” She asks.</p><p>“It’s a medicine right? That fights diseases?”</p><p>“Correct, but its more specific than that. Antibiotics are used by the public as a catch all for antibacterials, but their specific definition is a naturally occurring compound that helps kill or halt pathogens.”</p><p>“The first one discovered was penicillin, right?”</p><p>“Yes, by Alexander Flemming.” Chiara nods. “Penicillin is what we call a ‘beta lactam’ antibiotic; it has a chemical compound called a beta lactam ring. It’s not important to know the specifics of it right now, but that ring gives the antibiotic it’s useful property. It is produced by fungi, and there are many different types of beta lactam antibiotics.”</p><p>“So there’s lots of different antibiotics that look a little bit different, but they all work the same way?”</p><p>“Exactly, they are the same ‘class’. Now, what do we know about evolution, hmm?”</p><p>“Uh, animals adapt to new environments in order to survive better?” You ask.</p><p>“Correct. But so do bacteria. Bacteria have started to produce an enzyme called beta lactamase that breaks down the beta lactam ring. In short, the enzymes have figured out a way to stop the antibiotics from killing them, by destroying the functional part of the antibiotic. Hence the antibiotic no longer works.”</p><p>“That… doesn’t sound good.”</p><p>“It’s not. This breeds ‘resistance’. You can overcome resistance to a degree by increasing the dose, but that’s not always successful. You want to prevent resistance occurring at all.”</p><p>“How do we do that?” You ask.</p><p>“It’s a big topic with doctors all around the world discussing how they can stop this bacterial apocalypse, but for you, there’s simple steps. One: don’t take antibiotics you don’t need, especially for viruses.”</p><p>“Why would that affect anything?”</p><p>“You have natural bacteria in your body. They are good. But they can become resistant to drugs, and can pass those resistances on to harmful bacteria, so when you do need antibiotics, they no longer work. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses anyway; there are precious few antivirals available and they will not be given for the common cold regardless.”</p><p>“Okay, don’t take antibiotics unless told by a doctor.”</p><p>“And don’t demand antibiotics from doctors either. They know if you need it or not.”</p><p>“Got it. What else?”</p><p>“Always take antibiotics as directed. To the letter. Finish the full course and take pills exactly as told at the exact time. None of this ‘half a pill twice a day is the same as one pill once a day’ nonsense. It is not. It’s about concentration of the drug, and maintaining a constantly concentration high enough to kill the bacteria. Dead bacteria cannot gain resistance.”</p><p>“Alright, cool. I’ll keep that in mind.”</p><p>“Please do. It is a great worry. You no doubt have heard of MRSA? Methicillin-resistant streptococcus aureus? It is terrifying, a nasty disease that can’t be treated by antibiotics. For now, it stands alone as the worst case scenario, but if we do not act now, there will soon be more to watch out for.”</p><p>With that, Chiara turns back to her writing, and you see yourself out. You got to see an empassioned side to Chiara you’d never thought of before, and learnt a lot about antibiotic stewardship in the process too. You certainly learnt a lot today.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Chapter 39</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You decide to spend some more time with Chiara.</p><p>Once again, you find her in the clinic. She’s wearing plastic clothing over her normal clothes and is carefully cleaning the equipment present in the room. She turns to face you as you enter, and throws a pair of gloves at you.</p><p>“I thought you might be along again. Here. Get cleaning.” She demands. You slip the gloves on and start helping out as well.</p><p>“Is it that bad?” You ask.</p><p>“No, surprisingly this clinic is fairly clean, all things considered. Of course, we don’t know if this school was uninhabited before we arrived…” Chiara muses. “Regardless, there is no harm in cleaning everything again.”</p><p>The two of you clean in silence for a while. After a while, you start to hear a strange, humming noise. You search for the source, only to realise it’s coming from Chiara. She notices at the same time you do, and stops, giving you a glare.</p><p>“I was not humming.” She insists.</p><p>“It’s fine if you were, you know.” You reply.</p><p>“Well, I wasn’t. So your opinion doesn’t matter.” Chiara snaps. You continue working in silence again, and this time Chiara doesn’t start humming again. But she seems irritated, lost in her own thoughts, instead.</p><p>“Penny for your thoughts, Chiara?” You ask. Chiara jolts, as if she’d forgotten you were there at all.</p><p>“No, you will not hear anything from me.” Chiara snaps, scrubbing the next beaker with excessive force in response.</p><p>“Whatever’s on your mind, you can tell me, you know.” You offer. Chiara gives a harsh ‘Ha!’ and turns away. “Seriously, I don’t mind.”</p><p>“I don’t want to talk about my ‘feelings’. We’re all annoyed and scared, so what more is there to tell?” Chiara asks, pulling off her gloves and throwing them into the sink.</p><p>“Alright, fine. I won’t push any more. But if you do want to talk about it-“</p><p>“I don’t.”</p><p>“-You can come to me anytime.”</p><p>Chiara huffs loudly again, pulling out another pair of gloves and putting them back on and turning back to her cleaning. You decide to try a different tactic.</p><p>“Why are you so guarded, anyway?” You ask. Chiara scowls at you. “You’re haughty, difficult to talk to, and pretty intimidating. Not really good bedside manner for a doctor.”</p><p>“Epidemiologist, not doctor.” Chiara snaps. “It’s more research, bedside manner is less of an issue.”</p><p>“But a researcher of medicine goes through the same, or similar, training to a doctor, right? So…”</p><p> “I am not trained. Yet.” Chiara snaps. She’s silent for a moment before she sighs and carries on. “And I am always surrounded by people who know that. So I act more ‘mature’ to try and assure my coworkers that I am reliable.”</p><p>“That’s not the case here though, we don’t care. You’re the only one of us with any medical training at all, so we’ve gotta trust you.”</p><p>Chiara rolls her eyes. “That does not change how I act.” Again you lull into silence, before Chiara turns back to you. “Do none of you really know any first aid?”</p><p>“Not that I know of. Maybe some of us do, but I certainly don’t.”</p><p>Chiara examines you closely, before rolling her shoulder. “Then I suppose you should learn. Now.”</p><p>Chiara pulls out a couple of rolls of bandages, handing one to you. You spend the next few hours learning First Aid in as much detail as Chiara can fit into the time, including recovery positions, wound bandaging, helping with burns and dealing with poisoning. All seem like they could be a huge help in a killing game. She stops short of teaching you CPR due to lacking a training dummy, but does find and give you an informative booklet on the subject. Throughout, she’s strangely soft-spoken and calm, repeating any instructions you ask for, her passion for helping others coming out in her words and actions, just as they did when telling you about stewardship. She’s still the harsh and haughty Chiara, but she flawlessly falls into a mentoring role nonetheless. You learn a lot about First Aid, and also see Chiara’s softer side too.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">You’ve received first aid training. At the Prompt ‘FIRST AID’ turn to 34</span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">You’ve got to learn a lot more about Chiara, and might even consider her a friend. At the Prompt ‘CHIARA’ turn to 158</span>
</p><p>You obtained the Mysterious Ending clue: It’s second word, letter F.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah Chiara. Now it's time to write a bit about the forsty epidemiologist.</p><p>Chiara is the team 'medic', she checks the bodies to make sure the Monokuma file is correct, and is seen by the other characters as being in charge of everyone's health. Unfortunately, epidemiology is more of a research subject than one heavy in medicine, except in the case of farm vet herd health, which is very similar to epidemiology. But, since Chiara is not even a medical student yet (all Hope's Peak students have to be High Schoolers, so she's too young) she won't be doing anything hands on. As a current vet student, I know that hopeful medicine students spend a lot of time checking medicine dates and cleaning on their work experience placements. So that's really what Chiara specialises in. Poor her.</p><p>Chiara herself is supposed to be Italian, chosen because of Italy's history with the Roman empire, and that Latin arose from there. And Latin's used a lot in medicine. I didn't say every character had to have a deep and meaningful reason to be who they are. I chose her Ultimate as I have to study epidemiology as part of my course. No-one I know seems enjoys it though, it's interesting enough but we've had some issues this year, and the content wasn't taught very well. I think I actually understand epidemiology and statistics less now than I did when I first started vet school. Chiara's frosty attitude might be me lashing out against that.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>